Songs of Action

From longbows and sea-chants to battlefields, racecourses, and the golf links, these spirited poems celebrate the many forms of courage that shape public and private life. "The Song of the Bow" turns the English longbow into a proud emblem of craftsmanship, freedom, and national resolve, while "Cremona" recounts the stubborn heroism of Irish soldiers holding a river fort against overwhelming Austrian force. Other poems widen the field of action and feeling: "The Storming Party" fuses military danger with love, jealousy, and sacrifice, and "The Frontier Line" reflects on empire's true borders, marked not by geography but by the graves of soldiers who held them. The collection also finds heroism in unexpected places. A desert skirmish, a mining accident, a rough horse race, and a hunting field all reveal grit, loyalty, and hard-won honor; so do the comic defiance of old campaigners, the pride of common soldiers, and the democratic fellowship of golfers. Across its lively ballads and dramatic monologues, the book blends patriotism, humor, pathos, and vivid action into a portrait of courage tested by war, labor, sport, and memory. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.