Annus Mirabilis - II

John Dryden

A quay of fire ran all along the shore,
And lighten'd all the river with a blaze:
The waken'd tides began again to roar,
And wondering fish in shining waters gaze.

Old father Thames raised up his reverend head,
But fear'd the fate of Simois would return:
Deep in his ooze he sought his sedgy bed,
And shrunk his waters back into his urn.

[Excerpt]

Verses 231 and 232 of this long, 304-verse poem. The Great Fire is just one of the events covered in the saga of the Annus Mirabilis of 1666.

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Poetry Atlas also has many other poems about the River Thames.


Main Location:

River Thames, London