William Shakespeare Hays

William Shakespeare Hays Poems

William Shakespeare Hays Biography

William Shakespeare Hays (July 19, 1837 – July 23, 1907), was an American poet and lyricist. He wrote some 350 songs over his career and sold as many as 20 million copies of his works. These pieces varied in tone from low comedy to sentimental and pious; his material was sometimes confused with that of Stephen Foster as a result. In his later years, Hays put forth one of the more plausible claims to authorship of the song "Dixie". In the end, however, no evidence could be produced to back up his pretensions. Hays was born in Louisville, Kentucky, a town where he would spend most of his life. He published his first poetry in 1856 and 1857 through the paper of his Georgetown, Kentucky, school. Hays eventually received the nickname "Shakespeare" for his writings, an appellation he made a formal part of his name. Hays finished school and returned to Louisville in 1857. He found employment at D. P. Fauld's music store, where he continued to write music and poetry. He published many of his pieces under pen names, including Syah ("Hays" spelled backward). Three small collections of his poetry were also produced. Over his career, Hays is credited with over 350 songs, and he may have sold as many as 20 million copies of his works, making him more prolific than most of his 19th century peers. His songs show a great variety, ranging from austere hymns to base minstrel tunes. In fact, the style of some of his songs was so like that of Stephen Foster that the two men's material was sometimes confused. Hays died in 1907.)

The Best Poem Of William Shakespeare Hays

Robert E. Lee

The drapery of Heaven hung low
In dark and gloomy shrouds;
The angels used the weeping stars
In pinning back the clouds.
The shades of gloom and woe prevailed
O'er all the land and sea,
And eyes that were unused to tears
Now wept for Robert Lee.

A Christian soldier, true and brave
Beloved, near and far,
He was the first in time of peace,
And first in time of war.
Virginia never reared a son
More brave and good than he,
Save one, and he was Washington,
Who lived and died like Lee.

The nation wept when cruel death
Into his mansion stole;
But angels, in the 'Better Land,'
Received his peaceful soul.
For that belongs to God alone,
He gave it to Him free,
And left the South the fame and name
Of Robert Edward Lee.


His peaceful sword is laid away.
His work on earth is done,
He loved the people of the South,
They idolized their son.
There's not a woman, man or child,
I care not where they be,
Throughout the still, sweet sunny South,
But loves the name of Lee.

He had no enemies on earth,
There's not a voice that can
Say aught against the name of Lee,
The soldier or the man.
And that would be a proud, cold heart,
That e'er would cease to be
The place where memory wrote the name
Of Robert Edward Lee.

Bow down thy heads, ye Southern sons,
A few brief moments spend,
In weeping for the loss of one
Who lived and died your friend.
He loved you as he loved his life,
And when on bended knee,
Look up, and let the angels hear
Your prayer, 'God bless our Lee.'

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