Tuesday 4 March 2008

Henry V: Act III, Scene I (excerpt) - Shakespeare

Courage personified:

In peace there's nothing so becomes a man
As modest stillness and humility:
But when the blast of war blows in our ears,
Then imitate the action of the tiger;
Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood,
Disguise fair nature with hard-favour'd rage;
Then lend the eye a terrible aspect;
Let pry through the portage of the head
Like the brass cannon; let the brow o'erwhelm it
As fearfully as doth a galled rock
O'erhang and jutty his confounded base,
Swill'd with the wild and wasteful ocean.
Now set the teeth and stretch the nostril wide,
Hold hard the breath and bend up every spirit
To his full height.

1 comment:

Rebel Radius said...

"Now set the teeth and stretch the nostril wide,
Hold hard the breath and bend up every spirit
To his full height."

The ocean air of a raging west coast beach will bring this on, every time.