On the Queen’s Return from the Low Countries
Hallow the threshold, crown the posts anew!The day shall have its due.Twist all our victories into one bright wreath,On which let honour breathe;Then throw it round the temples of our Queen!’Tis she that must preserve those glories green.
When greater tempests than on sea beforeReceived her on the shore;When she was shot at ‘for the King’s own good’By legions hired to blood;How bravely did she do, how bravely bear!And show’d, though they durst rage, she durst not fear.
Courage was cast about her like a dressOf solemn comeliness:A gathered mind and an untroubled faceDid give her dangers grace:Thus, arm’d with innocence, secure they moveWhose highest ‘treason’ is but highest love.
Words in this poem
- hallow v. t.
- To make holy; to set apart for holy or religious use; to consecrate; to treat or keep as sacred; to reverence. [OE. halowen, halwien, halgien, AS. halgian, fr. halig holy. See Holy.]
- shall v. i.
- To owe; to be under obligation for. [OE. shal, schal, imp. sholde, scholde, AS. scal, sceal, I am obliged, imp. scolde, sceolde, inf. sculan; akin to OS. skulan, pres. skal, imp. skolda, D. zullen,]
- honour n.
- Esteem due or paid to worth; high estimation; respect; consideration; reverence; veneration; manifestation of respect or reverence. [OE. honor, honour, onour, onur, OF. honor, onor, honur, onur, honour, onour, F. honneur, fr. L. honor, honos.]
- bravely adv.
- In a brave manner; courageously; gallantly; valiantly; splendidly; nobly.
Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.
About this text
On the Queen’s Return from the Low Countries is in the public domain. This text is taken from The Oxford Book of English Verse, 1250-1900, Project Gutenberg ebook #66619; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.
Cite as: William Cartwright, On the Queen’s Return from the Low Countries, in Poems (1611–1643), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #66619, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/obev-william-cartwright/on-the-queens-return-from-the-low-countries.html, id L16093.
Form and metre
On the Queen’s Return from the Low Countries is 18 lines in 3 stanzas of 6 lines each. The rhyme scheme is AABBCC, complete in 2 of its 3 stanzas. The metre is iambic pentameter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 88%). 92% of its stressed syllables fall where the metre puts the beat. The lines average 8.7 syllables. 1 line ends on an unstressed syllable, a feminine ending. 22% of the lines run on without a stop at the line end.
See other poems in iambic pentameter.
Measured by Laurel's pipeline, not copied from a handbook: how stress and metre are counted, how rhyme is lettered, how a drifted rhyme is found. Where the dictionary cannot confirm a rhyme the letter is withheld, not guessed.
Rhyme words, stanza by stanza
The word that ends each line, lettered by the rhyme it makes; a dash is a line whose rhyme the dictionary could not confirm.
- 1 AA--BB anewA · dueA · wreath · breathe · queenB · greenB
- 2 AABBCC beforeA · shoreA · goodB · bloodB · bearC · fearC
- 3 AABBCC dressA · comelinessA · faceB · graceB · moveC · loveC
Scansion, line by line
Each line with its syllable count and the stresses the words themselves fix: / stressed, ˘ unstressed, · a syllable the word leaves free and the metre decides. Read against iambic pentameter. How this is done.
| Line | Syl. | Stress |
|---|---|---|
| Hallow the threshold, crown the posts anew! | 10 | /˘·/····˘/ |
| The day shall have its due. | 6 | ······ |
| Twist all our victories into one bright wreath, | 10 | ··//˘····· |
| On which let honour breathe; | 6 | ···/˘· |
| Then throw it round the temples of our Queen! | 10 | ·····/˘·/· |
| ’Tis she that must preserve those glories green. | 10 | ····˘/·/˘· |
| When greater tempests than on sea before | 10 | ·/˘/˘····· |
| Received her on the shore; | 6 | ˘/···· |
| When she was shot at ‘for the King’s own good’ | 10 | ·········· |
| By legions hired to blood; | 7 | ·/˘/˘·· |
| How bravely did she do, how bravely bear! | 10 | ·/˘····/˘· |
| And show’d, though they durst rage, she durst not fear. | 10 | ·········· |
| Courage was cast about her like a dress | 10 | /˘········ |
| Of solemn comeliness: | 6 | ·/˘/˘˘ |
| A gathered mind and an untroubled face | 10 | ·/˘···˘/˘· |
| Did give her dangers grace: | 6 | ···/˘· |
| Thus, arm’d with innocence, secure they move | 10 | ···/˘˘˘/·· |
| Whose highest ‘treason’ is but highest love. | 10 | ·/˘/˘··/˘· |
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