A Classic Poem That Is Rather Relevant to the Current Political Climate

First Blog post (and content in general) on this account. Yay!

The following poem is called "Riflemen Form!" by Alfred Tennyson. My explanation as to why I am posting this here will follow. A note on some of language used. Rotten boroughs were "a borough that was able to elect a representative to Parliament though having very few voters, the choice of representative typically being in the hands of one person or family". Definition from some random dictionary. In the third stanza, Tennyson is referring to rifle butts. Get your heads out of the gutter.

"There is a sound of thunder afar,
Storm in the South that darkens the day!
Storm of battle and thunder of war!
Well if it do not roll our way.
Storm, Storm, Riflemen form!
Ready, be ready against the storm!
Riflemen, Riflemen, Riflemen form!"

Be not deaf to the sound that warns,
Be not gull’d by a despot’s plea!
Are figs of thistles? or grapes of thorns?
How can a despot feel with the Free?
Form, Form, Riflemen Form!
Ready, be ready to meet the storm!
Riflemen, Riflemen, Riflemen form!

"Let your reforms for a moment go!
Look to your butts, and take good aims!
Better a rotten borough or so
Than a rotten fleet and a city in flames!
Storm, Storm, Riflemen form!
Ready, be ready against the storm!
Riflemen, Riflemen, Riflemen form!"

"Form, be ready to do or die!
Form in Freedom’s name and the Queen’s
True we have got—such a faithful ally
That only the Devil can tell what he means.
Form, Form, Riflemen Form
Ready, be ready to meet the storm!
Riflemen, Riflemen, Riflemen form!"
-Alfred Tennyson

This poem was written in 1859, but it most certainly applies today. For the past decade (or two) extremist movements have been rising all across the political spectrum. By political spectrum, I mean the far right and far left: you don't exactly see centrist terrorists in the news often, no? Regardless, America and many other countries stand at such a juncture. If we the people do not stand against political extremism, then our democracy will perish. I do not support violence, or necessarily the formation of militias (though that is within your constitutional rights if you do so). Rather, we should (peacefully) protest in the streets, support government watchdog groups, and vote out the political extremists. I will not make politics a feature of this account, but I wanted to post this because I believe it is rather important to read.