poem epic poem composed based legend supposed welsh prince fled conflict sailed america 12th century origins poem traced days completed prose version story time twenties began devote working poem hopes sell raise money fulfill ambitions start new life america hoped found finally completed poem age began devote efforts extensively editing work ready publication finally published volumes london publisher extensive half poem wales describes young welsh nobleman family breaks series bloody disputes royal succession unwilling participate struggle decides journey america start new life reaches america witness bloody human sacrifices nation demands surrounding tribes believing defiance god leads local tribe warfare eventually able convert americans christianity returning wales find recruits colony second returns find returned human sacrifices long bloody warfare able defeat force homeland exile poem contains bias catholic protestant pagan believed work historical epic contained political views critics gave work mixed reviews saying beautiful scenes feeling language fell short adequate subject matter review went far mock reliance welsh names background basis wishing write epic poem came private reading literature attending boy particular subject suggested school friend claimed descendant brother began write prose version story year old attempting publish works raise money support expedition america establish democratic form government invented poems sought publish epic started working school finished able complete poem joan arc summer worked claimed february morning began study law evening began given ideas studying lawyer spent rest time working publications translating french revolution continued work started working poem able finish composing soon began work travelled portugal continued work years polish language portugal went war france spain returned england travelled wales information epic continued travel worked epic time took beginning poem publisher began finish second section october finished published parts early preface explaining purpose work cost lot money publish prompted write high price half edition condemned furniture expensive libraries collect publisher warehouses shall solid poem wales intended combination bible works homer poems story deals legendary welsh prince supposedly americas 12th century book divided parts represent reversed division odyssey work focuses starts wales king henry_ii reign england section loosely based historical events following death supposedly father late 12th century work begins crowned king removing nephew power dies sons david takes throne killing siblings youngest sibling leaves britain settle new land joins son start journey discovering america return recruit people help form new colony stays long witness fighting living siblings determines leave immediately story follows journey travel west problems storms dissent crew eventually reach america received natives takes natives guide begin explore area mississippi_river continue travel soon come original homeland nation discovers require human sacrifices gods decides interfere tribal affairs stop children taken sacrificed following encourages peaceful tribe arms protect goes capital deal king shown king great stand witnesses buildings monuments piles corpses horrific scenes unwilling allow continue practices war smaller nation bring large army able use welsh technology superior tactics overcome able prisoners king contracts mortal illness following battle releasing prisoners instead sacrificing provides help king recover disease leads treaty human sacrifice priests fear stop practice king decides people abandon religion religion based god love rest story involves returning wales recruit settlers colony time meets poet tells discuss matter meeting young like america trying recreate greatness afterward meets individual trying reclaim title prince wales tries fails convince come america returns original home stops attempt remove body grave holy ground instead offers corpse america buried worry rest time wales spent trying brother david king free brother imprisoned escapes release promised sets return colony met boat informs working overthrow david restore rightful king upset potential warfare leaves promise britain fine second poem parallels follows events america returns america wales finds colony struggles people turned pagan gods peace groups ends people starts convince people worship pagan gods begin sacrifice children god feeding large snake angry accuses priest leading sacrifices traitor killing priest snake feat brings christianity high priest tells people favour gods kill foreigners warriors volunteer capture child gods return child forced fight condemned men welsh allies attack city allowing woman free time warrior attacks defeated welsh women returns joins welsh forces battle continues kills king battle followed destroying pagan temples gather appoint new king games events established follow battle events temple covered flames idols pagan gods appear followed telling welsh leave attacking battle takes place water surrounding city boats superior welsh ships able win unwilling stop turn rituals priests travel sacred mountain sacrifices sudden lava eruption kills priests causes believe support gods cease fighting admitting defeat leave area head south mexico themes time portugal cultivated strong anti catholic bias saw catholic rituals pagan like limit feelings catholics believed political threat religious enthusiasm alteration mind away reason wrote following beliefs gentle tribe delivered intent believed dealing closely history scholarship reinforce intent epic like works instead argued evidence story historical basis story according came britain america replace christianity terms politics believed war post revolution france inappropriate started composing time poem finished advocate war napoleon government instead supporting government return opposed government prime minister younger poem heavily grounded ideas includes earlier version democratic ideal form connection wales america poem alludes plans travel wales settle america start new societal system endings poems opposite results sunset exodus country deals wales second lands return wales greatness second deals new country created reception intended rival works homer believed poem better received mixed reviews critics critic believed comparable paradise lost felt letter written june claimed highly pleased beautiful pictures descriptions happily introduced animation story said characters interest young situation highly interesting appears best conceived sustained character piece poem fails highest gifts poet mind imagination true sense word knowledge human nature human heart shows hand great master followed letter july saying mind strong draw picture hero character short according notion character conceived william sister wrote june claim read great delight painful feeling care author wished characters general sufficiently distinct separate existence affection review october argued fallen lot writer puzzle critical contrived manufacture large styled poem description easy matter decide poem classical respect manners appears successful choice story adhered history discover facts adapted purpose history failed resource probability continued attack welsh names appear poem nomenclature heroes shocked ears feel interest swallow jaw words particularly remind strongly nurse child tolerated anonymous review november stated said language undoubtedly chief excellence style places trailing flat strength animation author artificial ornaments feel compelled observations hardly necessary add think highly performance review continues comparing paradise lost style adorned little artificial enriched decorations poetry hardly yield stands certainly second heroic production english language leading characteristics fire humanity head touches heart admire love biography believed poem longest successful tedious poems argued ended poem end larger framework welsh history american adventure clash culture interesting comparable purpose proportion power dramatic exotic flashback narrative court welsh narrative appeals variety romantic interests patriotic picturesque sentimental thought tends commonplace quality writing uniformly high memorable moving passages description rhetoric suggestive images continued adding epic fact effort eighteenth century english literature deal american indian northern irish poet published long poem mystery inspired work events surrounding work takes premise idea actually came america found ideal state offers multi layered poetic exploration happened won memorial prize
Madoc (poem)