Explore "Quo Vadis" by Madison Cawein on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
/ It is as if imperial trumpets broke / Again the silence on War's iron height; / And Caesar's armored legions marched to fight, / While Rome, blood-red upon her mountain-yoke, / Blazed like an awful sunset. At a stroke, / Again I see the living torches light / The horrible revels, and the bloated, white, / Bayed brow of Nero smiling through the smoke: / And here and there a little band of slaves / Among dark ruins; and the form of Paul, / Bearded and gaunt, expounding still the Word: / And towards the North the tottering architraves / Of empire; and, wild-waving over all, / The flaming figure of a Gothic sword.