RHC Fortnightly Quotemail
Compiled & Edited by Rob Chappell (@RHCLambengolmo on X)
Vol. XXIX, No. 11: April 12, 2025
Co-Editor: Sophie Fairgate
Art Director: Verena Keegan
Senior Executive Assistant: Rylee Carmichael
Junior Executive Assistant: B. J. Carmichael
Editor’s Note
In addition to the sacred festivals that dance through different dates on the calendar each year, the month of April also has a patriotic holiday dedicated to the remembrance of the epoch-making events that led to the founding of our nation two-and-a-half centuries ago. In this edition of the Quotemail blog, we are featuring poems about Patriots’ Day, a New England observance that takes place on the third Monday of April. In these memorable verses, three American poets pay tribute to the heroes and symbols of our democratic republic, which still light our path forward in the present day. We are also featuring some poetry and insights from our wonderful writing staff as well.
Liberty! Equality! Solidarity!
On April 19, 1775, the first shots of the American Revolution were fired at the Battle of Lexington and Concord, igniting a conflict that would change the course of history. This year marks the 250th anniversary of this pivotal moment, an event that sparked the flames of revolution and set the stage for the founding of the United States of America. This inaugural entry is the first of many to come, focusing on the key events and figures that shaped the American Revolution and the birth of our nation.
It's important to remember our history and honor the brave people who fought for our country's freedom. As we look back at these historical events, let us also look forward to the future and continue working towards equality, justice, and democracy for all.
“Paul Revere’s Ride” (1860)
By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882)
Listen my children and you shall hear
Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere,
On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-five;
Hardly a man is now alive
Who remembers that famous day and year.
He said to his friend, "If the British march
By land or sea from the town to-night,
Hang a lantern aloft in the belfry arch
Of the North Church tower as a signal light,--
One if by land, and two if by sea;
And I on the opposite shore will be,
Ready to ride and spread the alarm
Through every Middlesex village and farm,
For the country folk to be up and to arm."
Then he said "Good-night!" and with muffled oar
Silently rowed to the Charlestown shore,
Just as the moon rose over the bay,
Where swinging wide at her moorings lay
The Somerset, British man-of-war;
A phantom ship, with each mast and spar
Across the moon like a prison bar,
And a huge black hulk, that was magnified
By its own reflection in the tide.
Meanwhile, his friend through alley and street
Wanders and watches, with eager ears,
Till in the silence around him he hears
The muster of men at the barrack door,
The sound of arms, and the tramp of feet,
And the measured tread of the grenadiers,
Marching down to their boats on the shore.
Then he climbed the tower of the Old North Church,
By the wooden stairs, with stealthy tread,
To the belfry chamber overhead,
And startled the pigeons from their perch
On the somber rafters, that round him made
Masses and moving shapes of shade,--
By the trembling ladder, steep and tall,
To the highest window in the wall,
Where he paused to listen and look down
A moment on the roofs of the town
And the moonlight flowing over all.
Beneath, in the churchyard, lay the dead,
In their night encampment on the hill,
Wrapped in silence so deep and still
That he could hear, like a sentinel's tread,
The watchful night-wind, as it went
Creeping along from tent to tent,
And seeming to whisper, "All is well!"
A moment only he feels the spell
Of the place and the hour, and the secret dread
Of the lonely belfry and the dead;
For suddenly all his thoughts are bent
On a shadowy something far away,
Where the river widens to meet the bay,--
A line of black that bends and floats
On the rising tide like a bridge of boats.
Meanwhile, impatient to mount and ride,
Booted and spurred, with a heavy stride
On the opposite shore walked Paul Revere.
Now he patted his horse's side,
Now he gazed at the landscape far and near,
Then, impetuous, stamped the earth,
And turned and tightened his saddle girth;
But mostly he watched with eager search
The belfry tower of the Old North Church,
As it rose above the graves on the hill,
Lonely and spectral and somber and still.
And lo! as he looks, on the belfry's height
A glimmer, and then a gleam of light!
He springs to the saddle, the bridle he turns,
But lingers and gazes, till full on his sight
A second lamp in the belfry burns.
A hurry of hoofs in a village street,
A shape in the moonlight, a bulk in the dark,
And beneath, from the pebbles, in passing, a spark
Struck out by a steed flying fearless and fleet;
That was all! And yet, through the gloom and the light,
The fate of a nation was riding that night;
And the spark struck out by that steed, in his flight,
Kindled the land into flame with its heat.
He has left the village and mounted the steep,
And beneath him, tranquil and broad and deep,
Is the Mystic, meeting the ocean tides;
And under the alders that skirt its edge,
Now soft on the sand, now loud on the ledge,
Is heard the tramp of his steed as he rides.
It was twelve by the village clock
When he crossed the bridge into Medford town.
He heard the crowing of the cock,
And the barking of the farmer's dog,
And felt the damp of the river fog,
That rises after the sun goes down.
It was one by the village clock,
When he galloped into Lexington.
He saw the gilded weathercock
Swim in the moonlight as he passed,
And the meeting-house windows, black and bare,
Gaze at him with a spectral glare,
As if they already stood aghast
At the bloody work they would look upon.
It was two by the village clock,
When he came to the bridge in Concord town.
He heard the bleating of the flock,
And the twitter of birds among the trees,
And felt the breath of the morning breeze
Blowing over the meadow brown.
And one was safe and asleep in his bed
Who at the bridge would be first to fall,
Who that day would be lying dead,
Pierced by a British musket ball.
You know the rest. In the books you have read
How the British Regulars fired and fled,---
How the farmers gave them ball for ball,
From behind each fence and farmyard wall,
Chasing the redcoats down the lane,
Then crossing the fields to emerge again
Under the trees at the turn of the road,
And only pausing to fire and load.
So through the night rode Paul Revere;
And so through the night went his cry of alarm
To every Middlesex village and farm,---
A cry of defiance, and not of fear,
A voice in the darkness, a knock at the door,
And a word that shall echo for evermore!
For, borne on the night-wind of the Past,
Through all our history, to the last,
In the hour of darkness and peril and need,
The people will waken and listen to hear
The hurrying hoof-beats of that steed,
And the midnight message of Paul Revere.
“Concord Hymn” (1837)
By Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)
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.
“The Liberty Tree” (1775)
By Thomas Paine (1737-1809)
Editor’s Note: This poem was written to “rally the troops” and garner support for the American Revolution after British troops chopped down the “Liberty Tree” that stood near Boston Commons in 1775. The 129-year-old tree, after its death, became a powerful symbol for the Continental Army and was displayed on numerous American flags throughout the Revolution.
1. In a chariot of light from the regions of day,
The goddess of Liberty came,
Ten thousand celestials directed her way,
And hither conducted the dame.
A fair budding branch from the gardens above,
Where millions with millions agree,
She brought in her hand as a pledge of her love,
And the plant she named Liberty Tree.
2. The celestial exotic stuck deep in the ground,
Like a native it flourished and bore;
The fame of its fruit drew the nations around
To seek out this peaceable shore.
Unmindful of names or distinctions they came,
For freemen like brothers agree;
With one Spirit endued, they one friendship pursued,
And their temple was Liberty Tree.
3. But hear, O ye swains (‘tis a tale most profane),
How all the tyrannical powers,
Kings, Commons, and Lords, are uniting amain
To cut down this guardian of ours.
From the east to the west blow the trumpet to arms,
Through the land let the sound of it flee:
Let the far and the near all unite with a cheer,
In defense of our Liberty Tree.
The Goddess of Liberty stands next to the Liberty Tree, all decked out in red, white, and blue. The tiara on her head indicates that she represents the Sovereignty of our great Republic, where the Law is King and Liberty is Queen. (Image Credit: Digital artwork created by the Editor.)
Additional Edutainment
· “Sons of Liberty” Lyrics from Disney’s Johnny Tremain @ https://genius.com/Disney-johnny-tremain-the-sons-of-liberty-lyrics
· “The Shot Heard Round the World” from Schoolhouse Rock @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6ikO6LMxF4
· “Libertas” (The Ancient Roman Goddess of Liberty) @ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libertas
"On the Precipice of Independence:
Commemorating the 250th Anniversary of the Battle of Lexington and Concord."
By Lindsey Li, Staff Writer
In April's cool breeze, a fateful night,
The drums beat loud, 'gainst a tyrant's might.
On Lexington green, a stand was taken,
Against the king's might, freedom did they gain.
In Concord's dawn, the Brits advanced,
Seeking the rebel ammunition amassed.
The shot heard round the world, rang out fair,
As liberty's bells, against oppression, they'd bear.
The British were few, the Patriots true,
Defending the land, they all knew well.
The sun of freedom, rose high that morn,
As the first battle of a nation, was born.
From Lexington to Concord, they stood fast,
United as one, they did not outlast.
The brave and sturdy, who fought for the right,
To claim their freedom, in the dawn of night.
The first shot fired, in defiance to claim,
A nation's birth right, in which was to blame.
This day, we remember, those brave souls,
Who stood for freedom, with courage so bold.
And to them, we owe thanks and praise,
For the land of the free, and the home of the brave.
The Bardic Gorsedd
An Original Poem by Viviana Rivera, Staff Writer
“Embracing Diversity: A Call for Equity and Inclusion”
Diverse are the faces,
Equity of rights is the plea,
Inclusion of all souls,
In this world so wide.
Beyond gender, race, or creed,
In every heart, a unique need,
United in diversity,
Where every voice is free.
In this world, we're all the same,
Born of the same star, and the same flame,
The color of our skin is just a cover,
All created equal, by our Maker above.
Let us stand together, hand in hand,
Embracing our differences, without disdain,
Let us celebrate our diversity,
And strive for a world, free from animosity.
We must see beyond our differences,
And work to build a world where all is equal,
Where every voice is heard and respected,
And injustice is just a distant whisper.
Let us break down barriers, and shatter prejudice,
Build bridges of understanding, and foster unity,
Let us open our hearts, and let love in,
And create a world, where every person shines.
In this world, there is a tapestry,
Of myriad colors, thoughts, and views,
But if we learn to appreciate the diversity,
We can weave our differences into a beautiful crew.
We are all different, but we should never fear,
For it is in our differences that we find our strength,
Diversity is the spice, that makes life so sweet,
And inclusion is the key, to make everyone meet.
Let us not focus on our differences, but see,
The common ties that bind us, and the lessons we can learn,
For the world is big, and the people are many,
But we're all from the same stars, and the same dust we return.
So, let us embrace our diversity,
And strive for a world, where equity and inclusion prevail,
For in our differences, we find our strength,
And together, we can build a beautiful rainbow of people!
The Ancient Wisdom Corner
By Minerva Victor, Staff Writer
Here's a quote from Aristotle on democracy (in the Politics):
"One mark of a free man is his mastery over his passions, and his power of making reasonable choice and judgments, without being compelled."
This shows that, to Aristotle, freedom involves reason, moderation, and responsibility. It's not a license to do whatever one wants, but rather, a means to live in harmony with others and with the common good.
Here's a quote from the Lotus Sutra that speaks to the idea of freedom and responsibility:
"Free from both attachment and aversion, free from both joy and anger, the sage lives without any feeling of ownership. This is the highest state of wisdom."
This quote suggests that freedom from attachment and aversion, as well as from emotional extremes like joy and anger, allows us to live in a state of detachment from our circumstances and free from the feelings of ownership and control. It suggests that true wisdom is about letting go of our ego and finding inner peace.
Ex Oriente Lux (Light from the East)
By Holly Pontifex, Staff Writer
How about a quote from the Tao Te Ching? It's the foundational text for Taoism, which is one of the two major schools of Chinese philosophy, along with Confucianism. The Tao Te Ching was written by Lao Tzu, who lived in the 6th century BCE. Here's a quote from Chapter 1:
“The Tao that can be spoken is not the eternal Tao. The named is not the eternal name. The nameless is the beginning of heaven and earth. The named is the mother of ten thousand things.”
I would say that the Tao is similar to the Logos in that both are powerful forces that give the Universe its underlying structure and unity. In the Tao Te Ching, the Tao is often described as the unnamable, ever-present Source of all existence, the ultimate reality that underlies the Universe. Similarly, the Logos, a central concept in Stoic and Christian philosophy, is often described as the rational principle that governs the Universe, the divine force that gives the Universe its order and purpose.
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