The Solemn League and Covenant
written in 1794
The Solemn League and Covenant - context Summary
1794 Composition
Written in 1794, the brief poem invokes the historic "Solemn League and Covenant" to reflect on public memory and competing emotions about past struggles. The speaker observes that the covenant can "bring a smile" or "a tear," asserts that "sacred Freedom" belonged to those who upheld it, and rebukes the complacent or oppressed reader who derides that legacy. The poem compresses a larger argument about honoring past commitments to liberty and recognizing the moral authority of those who fought for freedom, while warning against cynical dismissal.
Read Complete AnalysesThe Solemn League and Covenant Now brings a smile, now brings a tear. But sacred Freedom, too, was theirs; If thou 'rt a slave, indulge thy sneer.
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