Vitai Lampada

In Sir Henry Newbolt poem "Vitai Lampada," he discusses something that interested me because I guess that I did not think that it affected schools to much during the Victorian era. He states, "And it's not for the sake of a ribboned coat, Or the selfish hope of a season's fame, But his Captain's hand on his shoulder smote-- "Play up! play up! and play the game!"" (582). Sportsmanship is something that every learns when they are young playing competitive sports or just watching them. This poem seems to speak on this subject. It shows how playing for the team affects his attitude about the challenges that are faced later in life. Newbolt states, "The river of death has brimmed his banks, And England's far, and Honour a name, But the voice of a schoolboy rallies the ranks: "Play up! play up! and play the game!"" (583). This shows that the lessons that were learned about sportsmanship have made them not concerned with themselves, but to the team that they are involved with. I think that many of the professional athletes of our day need to learn a lesson from this poem. It is not just the professional athletes that have this problem. I have heard people say that college sports are so much better than professional sports because they play for the team and not the money. It is hard for me to believe this when many of them leave college early to go to the professional leagues. Realizing that it takes more than yourself is a very important lesson that comes from this poem, and that is what I believe Newbolt is trying to say.