The Anchor
Strong trust of the bold sailor
On the shores of sudden storm!
How massive is its structure,
How able is its form!
Old ocean's bed-rock gripping
With the hurricane's tug 'twill cope,
And therefore 'tis the emblem held
Of faith and stedfast hope.
Where never plummet sounded,
By the bleak and stormy steep,
Like a thunderbolt down rushing
It is shot into the deep:
Down where some mute sea monster
Its hideous hulk uprears,
And mightiest Silence drowned hath lain
For many a thousand years.
In some famed bay of battle
When plung'd with sullen roar—
In Navarine, Aboukir,
Or by Danish Elsinore;
How meetly there it slumbers:
Beneath the sounding wave.
Amid the bones of gallant Tars
In glory's watery grave!
In the bright and land-locked Haven—
The weary voyage o'er,
While only pleasant breezes
Breathe welcome from the shore,
Its noble form down dropping
Into the quiet sand,
Gives signal to the first glad boat
Off putting for the strand.
Firm surety in the calmness,
Strong resquer in the storm,
A child when first beholding
Thy aptitude of form,
Might well divine the dangers
With which 'tis thine to cope,
And take thee as an emblem meet
Of faith and stedfast hope.
This work is in the public domain in Australia because it was created in Australia and the term of copyright has expired. According to Australian Copyright Council - Duration of Copyright, the following works are public domain:
- published non-government works whose author died before January 1, 1955,
- anonymous or pseudonymous works and photographs published before January 1, 1955, and
- government works published more than 50 years ago (before January 1, 1974).
This work is also in the public domain in the United States because it was first published outside the United States (and not published in the U.S. within 30 days), and it was first published before 1989 without complying with U.S. copyright formalities (renewal and/or copyright notice) and it was in the public domain in Australia on the URAA date (January 1, 1996). This is the combined effect of Australia having joined the Berne Convention in 1928, and of 17 USC 104A with its critical date of January 1, 1996.
Because the Australian copyright term in 1996 was 50 years, the critical date for copyright in the United States under the URAA is January 1, 1946.
This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.
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This work was published before January 1, 1929, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.
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