Lyric Poem · Power & Hubris

Concord Hymn

by Ralph Waldo Emerson · 1837

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.

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“Concord Hymn” by Ralph Waldo Emerson — quilloak.com/poems/concord-hymn

Quick facts

Poem: Concord Hymn
Poet: Ralph Waldo Emerson
Published: 1837
Length: 16 lines
Form: Lyric Poem, Rhyming Poems
Themes: Power & Hubris, Inspirational

Craft notes

How this poem works

Measured from the text on this page, not copied from a summary. Counts are approximate: syllables and rhymes come from the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary, which models General American English, so dialect, older pronunciation, and performance can all change what you hear.

Shape: 16 lines · 4 quatrains
Line length: Mostly 8-syllable lines (tetrameter length).

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Text, source & rights

A traceable edition

Full-text display is based on the cited edition and a United States term-expiry review.

Author record: Ralph Waldo Emerson1803–1882
Source record: WikisourceConcord Hymn by ralph-waldo-emerson, Wikisource transcription
Display decision: Full text · United States · reviewed 2026-07-18
Publication record: 1837
Text fingerprint: SHA-256 9db8529b0dd44bae…
Editorial handling: Whitespace and stanza breaks normalized for web display; no material wording change recorded.

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Lyric Poem Rhyming Poems Power & Hubris Inspirational

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