Editing Pomp and Circumstance Marches (section)

==Origin of the name==
Elgar took the phrase "Pomp and Circumstance" from Act 3, Scene 3 of [[William Shakespeare|Shakespeare]]'s ''[[Othello]]'':

<blockquote>
<poem>Farewell the neighing steed and the shrill trump,
The spirit-stirring drum, th'ear-piercing [[Fife (instrument)|fife]],
The royal [[banner]], and all quality,
Pride, ''pomp, and circumstance'' of glorious war!<ref>{{Folger inline|Othello|3|3|403–406}}</ref></poem></blockquote>

But also, on the score of the first march, Elgar set as a motto for the whole set of marches a verse from [[John Warren, 3rd Baron de Tabley|Lord de Tabley's]] poem "The March of Glory",<ref name=Maine197>{{harvnb|Maine|1933|pp=196–197}}</ref> which (as quoted by Elgar's biographer [[Basil Maine]]) begins with:<!-- <ref>''The March of Glory''. This appears to be an effort (by whom unknown) to paraphrase De Tabley's poem, but it arguably lacks the strength of the original</ref> -->

<blockquote><poem>Like a proud music that draws men on to die
Madly upon the spears in martial ecstasy,
A measure that sets heaven in all their veins
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And iron in their hands.
I hear the Nation march
Beneath her [[Ensign (flag)|ensign]] as an eagle's wing;
O'er shield and sheeted [[targe]]
The banners of my faith most gaily swing;
Moving to victory with solemn noise,
With worship and with conquest, and the voice of [[myriad]]s.</poem></blockquote>

Shakespeare's words proclaim the "shows of things" (Maine's quotation marks):<ref>This phrase occurs in a [[q:Francis Bacon|famous quote]] from [[Francis Bacon]]'s ''[[The Advancement of Learning]]'' (1605): "submitting the shows of things to the desires of the mind"</ref> the naïve assumption that the splendid show of military pageantry—"Pomp"—has no connection with the drabness and terror—"Circumstance"—of actual warfare.<ref name=Maine197 /> The first four marches were all written before the events of [[World War I]] shattered that belief, and the styles in which wars were written about spurned the false romance of the battle-song.<ref name=Maine197 />