Welcome To The Nations

By Oliver Wendell Holmes

Triolet
    Bright on the banners of lily and rose     Lo! the last sun of our century sets!     Wreathe the black cannon that scowled on our foes,     All but her friendships the nation forgets     All but her friends and their welcome forgets!     These are around her; but where are her foes?     Lo, while the sun of her century sets,     Peace with her garlands of lily and rose!     Welcome! a shout like the war trumpet's swell     Wakes the wild echoes that slumber around     Welcome! it quivers from Liberty's bell;     Welcome! the walls of her temple resound!     Hark! the gray walls of her temple resound     Fade the far voices o'er hillside and dell;     Welcome! still whisper the echoes around;     Welcome I still trembles on Liberty's bell!     Thrones of the continents! isles of the sea     Yours are the garlands of peace we entwine;     Welcome, once more, to the land of the free,     Shadowed alike by the pahn and the pine;     Softly they murmur, the palm and the pine,     "Hushed is our strife, in the land of the free";     Over your children their branches entwine,     Thrones of the continents! isles of the sea!

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Poem Details

Language: English
Keywords: Public Domain
Source: Public Domain Collection
Rights/Permissions: Public Domain
Analysis & Notes:
This poem, steeped in vivid imagery and personification, is a resounding celebration of peace, liberty, and fraternity. It's structured in three stanzas, each comprising of a series of rhyming couplets, which lends a rhythmic, almost song-like quality to the verse. The theme of unity and peace is symbolized through the use of floral imagery, such as 'lily and rose', which are traditionally associated with purity and love.

The tone of the poem is one of triumphant joy and relief. Phrases like 'the last sun of our century sets' and 'Peace with her garlands of lily and rose' suggest the end of conflict and the dawn of a peaceful era. The poem also uses the device of repetition with phrases like 'Welcome!' and 'Thrones of the continents! Isles of the sea!', which create a sense of inclusivity and global fraternity. The poet also employs personification in 'Liberty's bell' and 'the walls of her temple resound', attributing human qualities to non-human entities, thus adding an emotive layer to the poem. The poem also contrasts images of war ('black cannon') with images of peace ('garlands of peace'), highlighting the transformative power of unity and harmony.