.png)
by Isaac M., Brilliant Contributor, The Brilliant Foundation
In this series, we look towards the young – teenagers who have written a narrative poem of an individual from herstory (history). From our youngest contributor, Isaac M, 13 years of age has chosen Queen Victoria as his inspiration.
Queen Victoria was crowned when she was just 18, and her reign lasted 63 years. She restored the image of the monarchy during a time of great economic, political and societal change. She lived from 1819–1901 and reigned during a period of immense change which saw a great expansion of the British Empire.
Coronation portrait of Queen Victoria by George Hayter
I paint a pretty picture,
Of a monarch so supreme,
Her Glory and divinity,
Are that of Britain’s queen.
Now you children; listen close,
As I tell the tale,
Of one Queen Victoria-
Who trumped all monarch males.
In Victoria’s younger years,
She was excluded from all others,
By nasty Sir John Conroy,
Who fell in with her mother.
John’s goals were ambitious,
He wanted England’s throne,
And he planned to get it,
By manipulating Victoria’s own.
The dastardly plot however,
Would luckily, narrowly fail,
And like a lowly peasant,
He would be tossed in gaol.
When Victoria rose to queen,
She found power out of balance,
The poor despised her predecessors,
For their heavy extravagance.
As they’d been accustomed,
To a luxurious life it seemed,
Victoria was more grounded,
It was frivolous to this queen.
This is when popularity,
Really began to tip,
Democracy was introduced,
And poverty would dip.
Portrait of Victoria and Albert with some of their children
She was now as regal as a lion,
And all who bowed before her,
Could feel the power thrumming,
Throbbing through her aura.
The fairness the public would-
Soon be able to grasp,
Increasing jobs and wages,
Discontent would now be past.
Now Victoria was well-educated,
And sought to increase trade,
Throughout a growing empire,
Incredible deals were made.
She encouraged industrialization,
Which increased the minimum wage,
Of many, many people,
And loosened poverty’s cage
After dealing with the workforce,
Her gaze began to turn,
To an era of rule and conquest,
That will make your stomach churn.
For eons the British goal had been,
To conquer all who walked the Earth,
And with Victoria’s invincible navy,
They would level home and hearth.
While under Victoria’s leadership,
Major colonies would be made,
India, Botswana, Nigeria,
Would lay foundations for more trade.
At the height of this conquest,
Countries shook in their shoes,
Knowing of the coming battle,
And that they would surely lose.
But 1857,
Would threaten British hold,
The Mutiny of Sepoy,
An event not ever foretold.
India desired freedom,
Freedom from a Company,
Leaching all their realms,
Because of greed and gluttony.
When Victoria first heard,
About this bloody event,
She made her army find the sinners,
And force them to repent.
But following executions,
She then began to think,
Transfer power to the crown,
And strengthen the Indian link.
Photograph by J. J. E. Mayall, 1860
So officially on the first,
Of 1877,
There was cause for celebration,
With noise that would deafen.
As, for the very first time,
First time in history,
A supreme Empress of India,
Rose to victory.
Now as should be apparent,
Victoria’s success at Queen,
Was envied by certain parties,
Who acted in the extreme.
But Victoria was wily,
Like a sly, sly fox,
She dodged several strikes,
Attempts on her life were stopped.
Victorian farthing, 1884
Now as I end this poem,
This poem with words that rhyme,
Queen Victoria’s reign,
Will be marked in the annals of time.
She was everything a queen,
Should and ought to be,
Kind, strict, intelligent,
My salutations go to thee.
She gave her country everything,
Plus, a magnificent empire,
And her morals and her reign,
Truly do inspire.
Portrait by Heinrich von Angeli, 1899
-END-
Copyright@TheBrilliantFoundation