Sir Walter Scott

Sound, Sound the Clarion

Sound, Sound the Clarion - meaning Summary

One Glorious Hour

The poem urges valuing a brief, intense life over long obscurity. Addressing the senses with a calllike tone, it celebrates decisive action and public glory—asserting that a single, crowded hour of fame and feeling surpasses an anonymous, lengthier existence. The speaker prioritizes vivid experience, risk, and reputation, arguing that concentrated moments of significance justify choosing boldness and recognition over quiet longevity.

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Sound, sound the clarion, fill the fife! To all the sensual world proclaim, One crowded hour of glorious life Is worth an age without a name.

Lee Simpson
Lee Simpson November 24. 2025

Hi I thought you'd like to know that this stanza is incorrectly attributed to Sir Walter Scott. It is in fact by Thomas Mordaunt https://www.walterscottclub.com/blog/one-crowded-hour-of-glorious-life ​Regards Lee Simpson

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