258. To The Men Of England by Percy Bysshe Shelley
b"Shelley read by Classic Poetry Aloud:\\nhttp://www.classicpoetryaloud.com/\\n\\nGiving voice to the poetry of the past.\\n\\n---------------------------------------------\\n\\nTo The Men Of England\\nby Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792 \\u2013 1822)\\n\\nMen of England, wherefore plough\\nFor the lords who lay ye low?\\nWherefore weave with toil and care\\nThe rich robes your tyrants wear?\\n\\nWherefore feed and clothe and save,\\nFrom the cradle to the grave,\\nThose ungrateful drones who would\\nDrain your sweat -- nay, drink your blood?\\n\\nWherefore, Bees of England, forge\\nMany a weapon, chain, and scourge,\\nThat these stingless drones may spoil\\nThe forced produce of your toil?\\n\\nHave ye leisure, comfort, calm,\\nShelter, food, love's gentle balm?\\nOr what is it ye buy so dear\\nWith your pain and with your fear?\\n\\nThe seed ye sow another reaps;\\nThe wealth ye find another keeps;\\nThe robes ye weave another wears;\\nThe arms ye forge another bears.\\n\\nSow seed, -- but let no tyrant reap;\\nFind wealth, -- let no imposter heap;\\nWeave robes, -- let not the idle wear;\\nForge arms, in your defence to bear.\\n\\nShrink to your cellars, holes, and cells;\\nIn halls ye deck another dwells.\\nWhy shake the chains ye wrought? Ye see\\nThe steel ye tempered glance on ye.\\n\\nWith plough and spade and hoe and loom,\\nTrace your grave, and build your tomb,\\nAnd weave your winding-sheet, till fair\\nEngland be your sepulchre! \\n\\n\\n\\nFor hundreds more poetry readings, visit the Classic Poetry Aloud index.\\n\\nReading \\xa9 Classic Poetry Aloud 2008"