I.
Thou wert not, Cassius, and thou couldst not be,
Last of the Romans, though thy memory claim
From Brutus his own glory–and on thee
Rests the full splendour of his sacred fame:
Nor he who dared make the foul tyrant quail
Amid his cowering senate with thy name,
Though thou and he were great–it will avail
To thine own fame that Otho’s should not fail.
II.
‘Twill wrong thee not-thou wouldst, if thou couldst feel,
Abjure such envious fame–great Otho died
Like thee–he sanctified his country’s steel,
At once the tyrant and tyrannicide,
In his own blood-a deed it was to bring
Tears from all men-though full of gentle pride,
Such pride as from impetuous love may spring,
That will not be refused its offering.
(Percy Bysshe Shelley)
More Poetry from Percy Bysshe Shelley:
Percy Bysshe Shelley Poems based on Topics: Love, Name, Fame, Tyranny & Despotism, Spring, Pride- Julian and Maddalo : A Conversation (Percy Bysshe Shelley Poems)
- Epipsychidion (Percy Bysshe Shelley Poems)
- The Daemon Of The World (Percy Bysshe Shelley Poems)
- Scenes From The Faust Of Goethe (Percy Bysshe Shelley Poems)
- Queen Mab: Part VII. (Percy Bysshe Shelley Poems)
- Queen Mab: Part I. (Percy Bysshe Shelley Poems)
Readers Who Like This Poem Also Like:
Based on Topics: Love Poems, Name Poems, Spring Poems, Pride Poems, Fame Poems, Tyranny & Despotism PoemsBased on Keywords: otho, cassius, glory-and, great-it, not-thou
- One Day And Another: A Lyrical Eclogue - Part IV (Madison Julius Cawein Poems)
- Hudibras - The Lady's Answer to The Knight (Samuel Butler Poems)
- A Congratulatory Epistle From His Holiness The Pope To The Reverend Dr. Snape (Nicholas Amhurst Poems)
- Bristowe Tragedie: Or The Dethe Of Syr Charles Badwin (Thomas Chatterton Poems)
- Queen Mab: Part V. (Percy Bysshe Shelley Poems)