Oh Poet fair, whom muses joy to bless,
What wanteth thou of them that read thy tale?
What hero imitate, what creed confess?
What life is best for them of mortal pale?
Ulysses whose wise counsel all admired?
Or Ajax, who with bold smile faced death’s dim?
Not Paris who with shameful lust was fired!
Not them, oh Poet great, not them to be.
But Hector true, who wife and son did love
Much more than warlike glory all men see,
For country fought like the dread gods above.
Great virtue with his valor he combined;
His soul’s own equal what man now can find?
(Andromache Mourning Hector by Jacques-Louis David)
No comments:
Post a Comment