Enter We Spartan 300

Enter We Spartan 300 by Christopher Dancy

Enter we Spartans three hundred plus

In pursuit of our enemies

For their pride to crush

Driven only by impulse

And an adrenaline rush

To die for our country

Then fight we must

Ready to die at king Leonidas command

Brother for brother and man for man

Armed for battle with only sword and shield in hand

Divided we fall together we stand

We are Spartan and this is our land

Before the battle

Beneath the sun rays we exposed ourselves bare

 Exercised, oiled our bodies and dressed our long hair

For if we are to die then die we in battle with honor, glory, and shining fair

Arrow upon arrow like a dark ominous cloud for a moment the suns light delayed

For the Spartan Dieneces this was an excellent tiding for a chance to fight in the shade

With nerves of steel and an unwavering will

Before Xerxes we refuse to kneel

His ego we killed

 His Immortals we butchered

And of his men blood we had our fill

 With our last ounce of fight we held the Thermopylae pass

Knowing deep within us this stand would be our last

Suddenly arrows down upon us like an ecliptic shadow where cast

As if a thousand Persian rained down on us killing us instantly and fast

Brother upon brother, man beside man

Shields lying alongside us, with our spears still in hand

Together we began that long journey home

Where thousands of Spartans before us have gone

Hearing that charge so familiar and known

My son return with this shield alive or it with you a corpse carried on

APA Reference:

“Enter We Spartan 300” Ponderin Web. 27 July 2013. http://www.pondrin.com/work.php?poem_id=277&workcat=poem

Summary:

     This poem celebrates the battle of Thermopylae and the 300 brave Spartans lead by King Leonidas[RI1]  that gave their lives against the Persian Empire attack on Greece.

Teaching Idea:

     This poem can be used to teach students about Persia’s attempt to concur Greece. Based on the reading of the poem I would have the students create a storyboard illustrating the Battle. This storyboard can be used to gauge their understanding of the poem.

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 [RI1]