The Roman Road runs straight and bare
As the pale parting line in hair
Across the heath.
Growing up in rural england one learned at an early age about Roman Britain and the legacy of the Romans, still clearly evident across the country.
A Roman road, Ermine Street, ran just a few miles from where I grew up and I often cycled or drove along extensive parts of it.
Whenever I encounter long, straight roads today I'm reminded of Roman roads in general and the poem by Robert Hardy (excerpt above, full below) in particular. The first lines of the poem were seared into my brain as the subject of study for my ‘O'-level English Language course. Hardy is more widely known for his novels like, ‘The Mayor of Casterbridge' though he also published many poems.
Casterbridge was really Dorchester, home to the Eldridge Pope brewery that made royal Oak – a staple ale of my student days. Alas, their business model went awry and they are no more. I still have a few bottles of Thomas Hardy Ale stashed away for some as yet undetermined future occasion. But I digress.
I wonder what Thomas Hardy would have made of the arrow-straight roads that cross the American west. Similar to the many of the roads in Libya and South Africa, even at 60 mph, you can see where you're going to be in ten minutes time and after ten minutes have passed, where you'll spend the next ten minutes.
This picture was taken in Nevada. The Kingston range is in california. I didn't see or pass another car along this whole stretch. It's not a road to break down on!
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The Roman Road
Thomas Hardy
The Roman Road runs straight and bare
As the pale parting-line in hair
Across the heath. And thoughtful men
Contrast its days of Now and Then,
And delve, and measure, and compare;
Visioning on the vacant air
Helmed legionaries, who proudly rear
The Eagle, as they pace again
The Roman Road.
But no tall brass-helmed legionnaire
Haunts it for me. Uprises there
A mother's form upon my ken,
Guiding my infant steps, as when
We walked that ancient thoroughfare,
The Roman Road.
