{
 "id": "james-mcintyre/eagle-and-stag",
 "title": "Eagle and Stag",
 "ordinal": null,
 "subtitle": null,
 "poet": "James McIntyre",
 "poet_slug": "james-mcintyre",
 "language": "en",
 "book": "Poems of James McIntyre",
 "book_slug": "poems-of-james-mcintyre",
 "book_kind": "volume",
 "sequence": 73,
 "container": null,
 "epigraph": null,
 "first_published": {
  "year": 1889,
  "venue": "Poems of James McIntyre (1889)",
  "note": "First located printing is this volume; an earlier periodical printing has not been established.",
  "uncertain": false,
  "sources": [
   "https://archive.org/details/cihm_11791"
  ]
 },
 "source": {
  "kind": "standard-ebooks",
  "repo": "standardebooks/james-mcintyre_poetry",
  "file": "poetry.xhtml",
  "upstream": [
   "https://archive.org/details/cihm_09542",
   "https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/36068",
   "https://archive.org/details/cihm_11791"
  ],
  "rights": "public domain (SE dedication; underlying text pre-1931)"
 },
 "verification": {
  "level": "structural-only",
  "last_checked": "2026-08-20"
 },
 "stats": {
  "n_lines": 56,
  "n_stanzas": 14,
  "n_parts": 0,
  "longest_line_chars": 44,
  "max_indent": 0
 },
 "site_ready": true,
 "parts": [],
 "stanzas": [
  [
   {
    "text": "In lonely distant Highland glen,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Far away from abode of men,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "A herd of deer they quietly graze,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "No foe appears where e’er they gaze.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "But there was one with flashing eyes",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Was glaring on them from the skies,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Dooming the one whose antlered horns,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The monarch of the glen adorns.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "The king of birds while high in air,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Resolves that he will boldly dare",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "To attack this fine, noble beast.",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And from its heart’s blood have a feast.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "He circles downwards in his flight,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Floats calm, takes aim, then with his might,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Like bullet strikes the mighty deer,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Whose frame doth tremble all with fear.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "He doth not fear without a cause,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "For eagle’s buried deep his claws",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "In the neck of this noble buck,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And with sharp beak its blood doth suck.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "For fierce bird with powerful swing,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Lashes the deer with each big wing;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And with strong eflibrts too it trys",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "For to pick out Voth of its eyes.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "But now the deer doth know its foe,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And with its antlers strikes it blow;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Makes it sprawl among the heather,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And doth ruffle up each feather.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "But bird quick takes aerial flight,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And descends with power and might",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Further back on the deer’s haunches,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Out of reach of antler branches.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "But deer it was both wise and bold,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "He down the hill with eagle rolled;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "But bird he closer to it clung,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And from deer’s side the blood it wrung.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "The stag, though suffering cruel harm,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Yet not o’erwhelm’d with alarm;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "He threw himself heels over head,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Until at last the eagle fled.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "And high again in air he flew,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Once more the contest to renew,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "But deer made his escape full good",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "In the shade of a neighboring wood.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "And bird descending for its prey,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Finds it hath swiftly fled away;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Eagle then like a hungry sinner",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Had to seek elsewhere for its dinner.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "And now it homeward takes its flight,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Its golden plumes in a sad plight,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "To a high rock where its throbbing breast",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "May there find rest in its own nest.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "And soon around the antler’d deer,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The does do crowd his heart to cheer,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Rejoicing he was so brave",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "As to drive off the winged knave.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ]
 ]
}