In school we had a poem that began, well, approximately:

An Austrian army, awfully arrayed Boldly by battery besieged Belgrade

Every line and every word on the line started with the next initial. For example the next line may have been; Crashing cannons cannonating come

I haven't thought of this for about 70 years but am now curious,

Dick Warren

-- Dick Warren (ftcf39a@prodigy.com), June 28, 1999

Answers

I am sorry, it is not my fault that the poems does not follow a poem format - so I am including an extra line between stanzas - hope it works now . 1797 - 1864) English Anthologist . The Siege of Belgrade

An Austrian army, awfully arrayed,

Boldly by battery besieged Belgrade.

Cossack commanders cannonading come,

Dealing destruction's devastating doom.

Every endeavor engineers essay,

For fame, for fortune fighting - furious fray!

Generals 'gainst generals grapple - gracious God!

How honors Heaven heroic hardihood!

Infuriate, indiscrminate in ill,

Kindred kill kinsmen, kinsmen kindred kill.

Labor low levels longest, lofiest lines;

Men march 'mid mounds, 'mid moles, ' mid murderous mines;

Now noxious, noisey numbers nothing, naught

Of outward obstacles, opposing ought;

Poor patriots, partly purchased, partly pressed,

Quite quaking, quickly "Quarter! Quarter!" quest.

Reason returns, religious right redounds,

Suwarrow stops such sanguinary sounds.

Truce to thee, Turkey! Triumph to thy train,

Unwise, unjust, unmerciful Ukraine!

Vanish vain victory! vanish, victory vain!

Why wish we warfare? Wherefore welcome were

Xerxes, Ximenes, Xanthus, Xavier?

Yield, yield, ye youths! ye yeomen, yield your yell!

Zeus', Zarpater's, Zoroaster's zeal,

Attracting all, arms against acts appeal!

Alaric Alexander Watts

-- ilza (ilza@pobox.com), June 28, 1999.

The Siege of Belgrade

An Austrian army, awfully arrayed, Boldly by battery besieged Belgrade. Cossack commanders cannonading come, Dealing destruction's devastating doom. Every endeavor engineers essay, For fame, for fortune fighting - furious fray! Generals 'gainst generals grapple - gracious God! How honors Heaven heroic hardihood! Infuriate, indiscrminate in ill, Kindred kill kinsmen, kinsmen kindred kill. Labor low levels longest, lofiest lines; Men march 'mid mounds, 'mid moles, ' mid murderous mines; Now noxious, noisey numbers nothing, naught Of outward obstacles, opposing ought; Poor patriots, partly purchased, partly pressed, Quite quaking, quickly "Quarter! Quarter!" quest. Reason returns, religious right redounds, Suwarrow stops such sanguinary sounds. Truce to thee, Turkey! Triumph to thy train, Unwise, unjust, unmerciful Ukraine! Vanish vain victory! vanish, victory vain! Why wish we warfare? Wherefore welcome were Xerxes, Ximenes, Xanthus, Xavier? Yield, yield, ye youths! ye yeomen, yield your yell! Zeus', Zarpater's, Zoroaster's zeal, Attracting all, arms against acts appeal!

Alaric Alexander Watts - 1797 - 1864 English Anthologist

-- ilza (ilza@pobox.com), June 28, 1999.