Post your patriotic July  4th poetry in the comments section below.

by Usa W. Celebride

“The cement of this union is the heart-blood of every American.” —Thomas Jefferson

The 4th Day of July, America, hey, celebrates!
with fireworks and flags, the birth of these United States.
Traditional Americans sing patriotic songs,
have barbecues and picnics, maybe watch parades in throngs.
We are reminded of the Declaration from UK,
the document our fathers signed on Independence Day,
the basis on which we here now encase our government,
with words that thrill, “We hold these truths to be self-evident,”
“all…are created equal,” and “by their Creator” blessed
with these, “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”
Twelve score and one—the years are gone—I hope as many more
America will stay the course, from shore to sea-washed shore.

 

Usa W. Celebride is poet living in Washington State.

NOTE TO READERS: If you enjoyed this poem or other content, please consider making a donation to the Society of Classical Poets.

The Society of Classical Poets does not endorse any views expressed in individual poems or commentary.


Trending now:

17 Responses

  1. Charles Southerland

    Our Republic

    We must resist the neo-Monarchists,
    the Oligarchs and Fascists to survive–
    demand them to desist and cease their lists
    of mediocrity and sameness. Strive,

    achieve perfection of the Union, save
    the binds that tie us to our God, our friends,
    our kin, assimilate the stranger, pave
    our common heritage in love, the ends

    of which will light the world from high above.
    We must defend the Constitution’s heft,
    restore our schools, and give the Left a shove,
    push back against the darkened tide, bereft

    of decency or morals. All these things
    which we must do require sacrifice.
    We’ve little time to celebrate this day.
    It’s time for us to jump into the fray.

    Reply
    • Wilbur Dee Case

      Mr. Southerland, an excellent concluding couplet, your call to action.

      Reply
  2. Father Richard Libby

    America, the Free

    The day of Independence,
    That patriotic day!
    We celebrate it yearly,
    With luminous display,
    And bells and games and picnics.
    From sea to shining sea,
    We celebrate our nation,
    America, the free!

    The colonists protested
    And bravely took a stand,
    But, still, the King of England
    Ruled with a heavy hand.
    Declaring independence
    from George’s tyranny,
    They gave us a new nation:
    America, the free!

    Today, we rightly honor
    Those brave and stalwart men.
    We live now with the freedom
    That they envisioned then.
    Our God has blessed our nation;
    Let’s praise Him endlessly,
    And celebrate, each summer,
    America, the free!

    Reply
    • Will

      Great work there, Father Poet!! The essence of Independence Day captured wonderfully!!!

      Reply
    • Linda McKamie

      Dear Father Libby,
      You are so gifted in many ways I know but I must tell you how much I am enjoying this gift of poetry that you share with us, it is good for the spirit and I pray you will continue to share with us this gift that Our Lord has entrusted to you for the good of us all. God bless you.

      Reply
    • Cornelius M Hayes III

      Beautifully done Father Libby. Can’t wait to see the next one.

      Reply
      • Father Richard Libby

        Monika, Linda, Neil – thank you all very much!

  3. Lorna Davis

    O Liberty! You stand beside the sea
    And lift your lamp to all humanity.
    To kings and tyrants, you say “Nevermore!”,
    And offer freedom here upon your shore.

    But freedom is a tricky, two-edged sword
    Whose slick misuse must never be ignored,
    For freedom, exercised without restraint,
    Gives rise to valid grievance and complaint.

    The simple man seeks freedom from duress,
    The overlord seeks freedom to oppress,
    While business, crying “Freedom!”, may demand
    The right to poison water, air and land.

    Your blessings are secured, O Liberty,
    When thoughtful laws protect your citizenry.

    Reply
  4. Wilbur Dee Case

    Although Mr. Celebride’s “The 4th Day of July, 2017” is a much shorter work than Dryden’s “Astraea Redux,” it falls in to that same category of verse, an occasional work in celebration of a public event. The first line open with a call out, “hey,” much in the manner of “Beowulf.” It is a poem more reminiscent of Longfellow, or secondarily Emerson, than of Whitman, Eliot, or Lowell. The poem is a fairly straightforward piece, like those expected, official verses poet laureates would compose. The interest of the poem lies in the condensed details chosen, the subtle use of alliteration, how Jefferson’s prose is brought into the iambic heptameters, and the final couplet, which plays off Lincoln (and Shakespeare indirectly), and transforms Katherine Lee Bates’ famous phrase, “from sea to shining sea,” to “from shore to sea-washed shore.”

    Reply
  5. Sally Cook

    For Charles Southerland —

    As always a readable, musical poem of substance. Don’t ever stop writing these. You are a unique example of a finely honed creative spirit.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.