2 Rich prairies, decked with flowers of gold Broad lakes her azure heavens behold, HOHENLINDEN THOMAS CAMPBELL Thomas Campbell (1777-1844) was a Scotch poet. He was born at Glasgow. At the time this battle was fought he was on a visit to Germany for the purpose of studying the literature of that country. He was then only twenty-three years old. 1 On Linden, when the sun was low, 2 But Linden saw another sight, 3 By torch and trumpet fast arrayed, 4 Then shook the hills with thunder riven; And, louder than the bolts of heaven 5 But redder yet that light shall glow Of Iser, rolling rapidly. 2 Rich prairies, decked with flowers of gold Broad lakes her azure heavens behold, HOHENLINDEN THOMAS CAMPBELL Thomas Campbell (1777-1844) was a Scotch poet. He was born at Glasgow. At the time this battle was fought he was on a visit to Germany for the purpose of studying the literature of that country. He was then only twenty-three years old. 1 On Linden, when the sun was low, 2 But Linden saw another sight, 3 By torch and trumpet fast arrayed, 4 Then shook the hills with thunder riven; And, louder than the bolts of heaven 5 But redder yet that light shall glow Of Iser, rolling rapidly. 6 'Tis morn; but scarce yon level sun 7 The combat deepens. On, ye brave, 8 Few, few shall part where many meet! HELPS TO STUDY Historical: December 3, 1800, a battle between the Austrians and the French occurred at Hohenlinden, a village in Upper Bavaria. The French were victorious. The Franks were a powerful German tribe who mastered the Romans in Gaul and gave their name to France. The Huns were a warlike race living between the Ural and the Volga; in the fifth century they overran Europe and laid waste much territory. The poet uses the word "Hun" in referring to the Austrians. In this poem the author tries to make the reader see the battle as it really occurred. Notes and Questions What time of day is described in the first stanza? What is meant by the "dead of night''? What did the beating of the drums mean to the soldiers? What did the beating of the drums tell the people? For what were the torches used? that the horses were eager for Read the following description of a warhorse from a much older poem; "He saith among the trumpets, Ha, ha! and he smell |