{
 "id": "henry-van-dyke-jr/golden-stars",
 "title": "Golden Stars",
 "ordinal": null,
 "subtitle": null,
 "poet": "Henry van Dyke Jr.",
 "poet_slug": "henry-van-dyke-jr",
 "language": "en",
 "book": "The Poems of Henry Van Dyke",
 "book_slug": "poems",
 "book_kind": "volume",
 "sequence": null,
 "container": null,
 "epigraph": null,
 "first_published": {
  "year": 1920,
  "venue": "The Poems of Henry Van Dyke (1920)",
  "note": "Taken from the 1920 collected edition. That is the printing this text comes from, not the poem's first appearance: the volume gathers work published from 1897 onward, and which earlier book or magazine printed this poem first has not been established here.",
  "uncertain": true,
  "sources": [
   "https://archive.org/details/poemsofhenryvand00vandrich"
  ]
 },
 "source": {
  "kind": "standard-ebooks",
  "repo": "standardebooks/henry-van-dyke-jr_poetry",
  "file": "poetry.xhtml",
  "upstream": [
   "https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/16229",
   "https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/16134",
   "https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/10679",
   "https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/3525",
   "https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/9372",
   "https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/29314",
   "https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/43094",
   "https://archive.org/details/poemsofhenryvand00vandrich",
   "https://archive.org/details/buildersotherpoe00vandrich",
   "https://archive.org/details/toilingoffelixan00vandiala",
   "https://archive.org/details/musicotherpoems0000henr_c7v6",
   "https://archive.org/details/poemsnowfirstcol00vanduoft",
   "https://archive.org/details/songsoutofdoors0000vand",
   "https://archive.org/details/thyseaisgreatour00vandiala",
   "https://archive.org/details/chosenpoems0000vand"
  ],
  "rights": "public domain (SE dedication; underlying text pre-1931)"
 },
 "verification": {
  "level": "structural-only",
  "last_checked": "2026-08-20"
 },
 "stats": {
  "n_lines": 107,
  "n_stanzas": 7,
  "n_parts": 0,
  "longest_line_chars": 51,
  "max_indent": 1
 },
 "site_ready": true,
 "parts": [],
 "stanzas": [
  [
   {
    "text": "It was my lot of late to travel far",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Through all America’s domain,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "A willing, gray-haired servitor",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Bearing the Fiery Cross of righteous war.",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And everywhere, on mountain, vale and plain,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "In crowded street and lonely cottage door,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "I saw the symbol of the bright blue star.",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Millions of stars! Rejoice, dear land, rejoice",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "That God hath made thee great enough to give",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Beneath thy starry flag unfurled",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "A gift to all the world⁠—",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Thy living sons that Liberty might live.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "It seems but yesterday they sallied forth",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Boys of the east, the west, the south, the north,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "High-hearted, keen, with laughter and with song,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Fearless of lurking danger on the sea,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Eager to fight in Flanders or in France",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Against the monstrous German wrong,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And sure of victory!",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Brothers in soul with British and with French",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "They held their ground in many a bloody trench;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And when the swift word came⁠—",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Advance!",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Over the top they went through waves of flame⁠—",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Confident, reckless, irresistible,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Real Americans⁠—",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Their rush was never stayed",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Until the foe fell back, defeated and dismayed.",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "O land that bore them, write upon thy roll",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Of battles won",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "To liberate the human soul,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Château Thierry and Saint Mihiel",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And the fierce agony of the Argonne;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Yea, count among thy little rivers, dear",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Because of friends whose feet have trodden there,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The Marne, the Meuse, and the Moselle.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Now the vile sword",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "In Potsdam forged and bathed in hell,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Is beaten down, the victory given",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "To the sword forged in faith and bathed in heaven.",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Now home again our heroes come:",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Oh, welcome them with bugle and with drum,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Ring bells, blow whistles, make a joyful noise",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Unto the Lord,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And welcome home our blue-star boys,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Whose manhood has made known",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "To all the world America,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Unselfish, brave and free, the Great Republic,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Who lives not to herself alone.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "But many a lad we hold",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Dear in our heart of hearts",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Is missing from the home-returning host.",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Ah, say not they are lost,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "For they have found and given their life",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "In sacrificial strife:",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Their service stars have changed from blue to gold!",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "That sudden rapture took them far away,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Yet are they here with us to-day,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Even as the heavenly stars we cannot see",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Through the bright veil of sunlight,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Shed their influence still",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "On our vexed life, and promise peace",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "From God to all men of good will.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "What wreaths shall we entwine",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "For our dear boys to deck their holy shrine?",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Mountain-laurel, morning-glory,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Goldenrod and asters blue,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Purple loosestrife, prince’s-pine,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Wild-azalea, meadow-rue,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Nodding-lilies, columbine⁠—",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "All the native blooms that grew",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "In these fresh woods and pastures new,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Wherein they loved to ramble and to play.",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Bring no exotic flowers:",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "America was in their hearts,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And they are ours",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "For ever and a day.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "O happy warriors, forgive the tear",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Falling from eyes that miss you:",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Forgive the word of grief from mother-lips",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "That ne’er on earth shall kiss you;",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Hear only what our hearts would have you hear⁠—",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Glory and praise and gratitude and pride",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "From the dear country in whose cause you died.",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Now you have run your race and won your prize,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Old age shall never burden you, the fears",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And conflicts that beset our lingering years",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Shall never vex your souls in Paradise.",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Immortal, young, and crowned with victory,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "From life’s long battle you have found release.",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And He who died for all on Calvary",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Has welcomed you, brave soldiers of the cross,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Into eternal Peace.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Come, let us gird our loins and lift our load,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Companions who are left on life’s rough road,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And bravely take the way that we must tread",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "To keep true faith with our beloved dead.",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "To conquer war they dared their lives to give,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "To safeguard peace our hearts must learn to live.",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Help us, dear God, our forward faith to hold!",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "We want a better world than that of old.",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Lead us on paths of high endeavor,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Toiling upward, climbing ever,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Ready to suffer for the right,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Until at last we gain a loftier height,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "More worthy to behold",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Our guiding stars, our hero-stars of gold.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ]
 ]
}