Audentes Fortuna Iuvat

– Virgil

O Muse, who guides the poets' artful song,
And fills their minds with inspiration strong,
Grant me the skill to emulate the fame
Of Virgil, who adorned the Latin tongue
With verses sweet and smooth, and lofty themes
Of gods and heroes, wars and destinies.
He sang of Troy's fall and Aeneas' flight,
Of Dido's love and Turnus' tragic fight,
Of Rome's great future and Augustus' reign,
And of the golden age he hoped to see.
He wrote in dactylic hexameter,
The meter of the Greeks, and used with care
Each word and phrase, to make his meaning clear
And rich with subtle shades and nuances.
He learned from Homer, Hesiod, and Theocritus,
From Ennius, Lucretius, and Callimachus,
But made his own unique and splendid style,
That earned him praise from all who read his works.
O Muse, if you have ever favoured me,
Or if I have deserved your grace by any deed,
Help me to follow Virgil's noble lead,
And write a poem worthy of his name.

Poems and Images: Bing Chat