Stanzas by Lord George Gordon Byron

When a man hath no freedom to fight for a home,

Let him combat for that of his neighbours;

Let him think of the glories of Greece and of Rome,

And get knocked on the head for his labours.

To do good to mankind is the chivalrous plan,

And is always as nobly requited;

Then battle for freedom wherever you can,

And, if not shot or hanged, you'll get knighted.

This poem ties in with my theme because it refers to battles fought and won in Greece and Rome, and says that if you fight for your country you will be rewarded. This style of warfare (of being chivalrous and getting knighted) is very different from most of the wars we hear about today and has much more to do with honour and glory than just killing, as it is today. Structurally there are two stanzas of four lines each, with the first and third, and second and fourth lines rhyming. The poem has historical allusions, in talking about the glories of Greece and Rome; this could refer to any number of battles that took place there, as there had been many previous to Lord Byron's lifetime. However, since there had been so many the cities were claimed repeatedly by different people, which would explain why he would "get knocked on the head for his labours" (he wouldn't enjoy its glories for long). In addition, the last two lines sound slightly satirical, as though you don't have much of a chance of being rewarded. This gives the poem a joking tone and makes the reader question the sincerity of the first two lines of the second stanza.