The Song Of Seven Cities

By Rudyard Kipling

Narrative Poem
I was Lord of Cities very sumptuously builded. Seven roaring Cities paid me tribute from far. Ivory their outposts were,the guardrooms of them gilded, And garrisoned with Amazons invincible in war. All the world went softly when it walked before my Cities, Neither King nor Army vexed my peoples at their toil. Never horse nor chariot irked or overbore my Cities. Never Mob nor Ruler questioned whence they drew their spoil. Banded, mailed and arrogant from sunrise unto sunset, Singing while they sacked it, they possessed the land at large. Yet when men would rob them, they resisted, they made onset And pierced the smoke of battle with a thousand-sabred charge. So they warred and trafficked only yesterday, my Cities. To-day there is no mark or mound of where my Cities stood. For the River rose at midnight and it washed away my Cities. They are evened with Atlantis and the towns before the Flood. Rain on rain-gorged channels raised the water-levels round them, Freshet backed on freshet swelled and swept their world from sight; Till the emboldened floods linked arms and, flashing forward, droned them, Drowned my Seven Cities and their peoples in one night! Low among the alders lie their derelict foundations, The beams wherein they trusted and the plinths whereon they built, My rulers and their treasure and their unborn populations, Dead, destroyed, aborted, and defiled with mud and silt! The Daughters of the Palace whom they cherished in my Cities, My silver-tongued Princesses, and the promise of their May, Their bridegrooms of the June-tide-all have perished in my Cities, With the harsh envenomed virgins that can neither love nor play. I was Lord of Cities,I will build anew my Cities, Seven set on rocks, above the wrath of any flood. Nor will I rest from search till I have filled anew my Cities With peoples undefeated of the dark, enduring blood. To the sound of trumpets shall their seed restore my Cities, Wealthy and well-weaponed, that once more may I behold All the world go softly when it walks before my Cities, And the horses and the chariots fleeing from them as of old!

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Poem Details

Language: English
Keywords: Public Domain
Source: Public Domain Collection
Rights/Permissions: Public Domain
Analysis & Notes:
Rudyard Kipling’s "The Song of Seven Cities" is a Narrative Allegorical Poem with strong elements of Civilizational Reflection and Historical Lament. In this sweeping, mythic meditation, the speaker recounts the former glory of seven powerful cities—rich, triumphant, unconquerable—only to reveal that they have all been utterly erased in a single night by an overwhelming flood. The central theme is the impermanence of human achievement: how even the grandest civilizations, fortified by might and prosperity, are fragile before the forces of nature and time. Yet woven through the lament is a stubborn resolve to rebuild and restore, embodying a cyclic view of history’s rise and fall.

The tone is initially triumphant, almost boastful, celebrating the roaring prosperity, martial power, and political stability of the lost cities. The imagery Kipling employs is dazzling: gilded outposts, Amazonian garrisons, a world that "went softly" before the might of these cities. But as the poem shifts to the flood that annihilates them, the tone turns elegiac and bitter. The destruction is not caused by war, rebellion, or decadence, but by a mindless act of nature—rains swelling rivers until the cities are drowned like a second Atlantis. Structurally, the poem arcs from proud recollection to catastrophic loss, then back to determined, almost defiant, renewal: the speaker vows to build anew, stronger and more enduring than before.

Kipling’s choice to depict the loss as sudden, total, and natural rather than moralistic (as in traditional biblical flood narratives) reflects a Darwinian, unsentimental view of human fate. The "Daughters of the Palace," the silver-tongued princesses, the unborn generations—all are casually obliterated, showing the profound, indiscriminate cruelty of nature and chance. Yet, there is no sense of despair: the speaker declares an unyielding intention to rebuild "seven set on rocks," suggesting that human resilience and ambition are as eternal as human vulnerability.

Ultimately, "The Song of Seven Cities" is a majestic meditation on the transience of power and the eternal human drive to create, dominate, and endure. Kipling captures both the grandeur and the fragility of civilization, offering a vision that is at once tragic and fiercely hopeful. His mythic voice speaks not just to empires past, but to all human enterprises that rise, fall, and rise again against the inexorable tides of fate.

Exploring Narrative Poetry

Narrative poetry is a form of poetry that tells a story, often making use of the voices of a narrator and characters as well. Unlike lyric poetry, which focuses on emotions and thoughts, narrative poetry is dedicated to storytelling, weaving tales that captivate readers through plot and character development.

Narrative poems are unique in their ability to combine the depth of storytelling with the expressive qualities of poetry. Here are some defining characteristics:

  • Structured Plot: Narrative poems typically have a clear beginning, middle, and end, following a plot that might involve conflict, climax, and resolution, much like a short story or novel.
  • Character Development: Characters in narrative poems are often well-developed, with distinct voices and personalities that drive the story forward.
  • Descriptive Language: The language used in narrative poetry is vivid and descriptive, painting a clear picture of the scenes and events, while also conveying the emotions and atmosphere of the story.

From ancient epics like "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey" to more modern narrative poems, this form continues to engage readers by blending the art of storytelling with the beauty and rhythm of poetry.