This is Ralph Waldo Emersons classic poem:
"Concord Hymn" is a poem by Ralph Waldo Emerson.
The first stanza of "Concord Hymn" is inscribed at the base of The Minute Man statue by Daniel Chester FrenchEmerson wrote "Concord Hymn" in 1836 for the dedication of the Obelisk, a battle monument in Concord, Massachusetts that commemorated the men that gave their lives at the Battle of Lexington and Concord (April 19, 1775), the first battle of the American Revolution.
One source of its power may be the author's personal ties to the subject: Emerson's grandfather was a man who fought in the Battle of Lexington and Concord; their house was called The Old Manse, which is next to the bridge that Emerson's grandfather was stationed on; and Emerson is known to have written the hymn while living there.
In 1837, the hymn was sung to the tune "Old Hundredth" during Concord's 4 July celebration. Modern critic Jonathan Mardin reflected on it favorably, calling it a "Too little-known masterpiece."
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Concord Hymn
By the rude bridge that arched the flood,
Their flag to April’s breeze unfurled,
Here once the embattled farmers stood,
And fired the shot heard round the world.
The foe long since in silence slept;
Alike the conqueror silent sleeps;
And Time the ruined bridge has swept
Down the dark stream which seaward creeps.
On this green bank, by this soft stream,
We set to-day a votive stone;
That memory may their deed redeem,
When, like our sires, our sons are gone.
Spirit, that made those heroes dare,
To die, and leave their children free,
Bid Time and Nature gently spare
The shaft we raise to them and thee.
