ACHILLES, a poem

WHEN, with a mortal mother's helpless tears,
     Thetis, the silver-footed, to her son
     Revealed the choice in death he might not shun;
The goddess-born, longing for lengthened years
In his own land, with all that life endears—
     Renounced Earth's breathing pleasures new begun,
     And chose to die in youth, each conflict won,
Leaving a fame no blight autumnal sears.

The Argives sleep, the Trojan hosts are dumb,
     And no man knows where Homer's ashes be;
Yet, echoing down the list'ning ages, come—
     E'en to this distant nineteenth century—
The hero's words by warlike Ilium,
     And strengthen others, in their need, and me!

"Achilles" by Florence Earle Coates. Published in Poems (1898) and Poems (1916) Volume II.