 | A nation's birth and other national poems |  |
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WASHINGTON.
I.
THE RIVER.
The wooded banks are silent each to each,
Far sundered as by rounding lake;
To grasp the tideful flood's ambitious reach
The heavens a dim horizon make:
Fitly these woven grandeurs feed
Moods which a mighty presence here doth breed.
Far sundered as by rounding lake;
To grasp the tideful flood's ambitious reach
The heavens a dim horizon make:
Fitly these woven grandeurs feed
Moods which a mighty presence here doth breed.
The fires of spring are kindled on the shores:
Cherry and dogwood flame in white;
Blossoms in green the life from sassafras cores;
But warmest is the redbud's light:
To each a deeper glow results
From his soul's heat who ruleth now my pulse.
Cherry and dogwood flame in white;
Blossoms in green the life from sassafras cores;
But warmest is the redbud's light:
To each a deeper glow results
From his soul's heat who ruleth now my pulse.
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Its hungry flanks the cork-buoyed seine spreads wide;
The boatman's call is heard afar;
The distant craft like friendly spectres glide;
But all to me transfigured are:
For over all himself impends;
To each his worth benignant blessing lends.
The boatman's call is heard afar;
The distant craft like friendly spectres glide;
But all to me transfigured are:
For over all himself impends;
To each his worth benignant blessing lends.
Potomac! great thou art from thy great flood;
Greater as seat of empire vast;
But greatest, that thy breezes nursed the blood
Of him, the foremost of the past;
For whom aye sacred shalt thou be,
With Avon, Tibur, holiest Galilee.
Greater as seat of empire vast;
But greatest, that thy breezes nursed the blood
Of him, the foremost of the past;
For whom aye sacred shalt thou be,
With Avon, Tibur, holiest Galilee.
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II.
THE SALUTE.
Once more in hardy conflict met
The mother proud and daughter bold,
To slay and mangle, fright and fret,—
A quarrel that was new and old.
The mother proud and daughter bold,
To slay and mangle, fright and fret,—
A quarrel that was new and old.
For England, rankling with the past,
And angered at our forward port,
Insult and taunt upon us cast,
Which first awakened no retort;
And angered at our forward port,
Insult and taunt upon us cast,
Which first awakened no retort;
For ours are arms of puissant peace,
The axe than sword we rather wield,
And take our joy in sure increase
By thoughtful work in shop and field
The axe than sword we rather wield,
And take our joy in sure increase
By thoughtful work in shop and field
But England pushed her will so far,
She threatened very freedom's life:
Then flung we loose the flag of war,
And leapt resolved into the strife;
She threatened very freedom's life:
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And leapt resolved into the strife;
Where unknit thews such buffets dealt,
The unshaken giant heaved with groans,
And England, startled, bodeful felt
More than her marrow in our bones.
The unshaken giant heaved with groans,
And England, startled, bodeful felt
More than her marrow in our bones.
That through the Capital was heard
A foeman's drum, to us was shame;
Deeper to England, that she blurred
Such conquest with malignant flame.
A foeman's drum, to us was shame;
Deeper to England, that she blurred
Such conquest with malignant flame.
By light of flaring roofs in haste
Her prows and banners seaward turned;
And on Potomac's broadening waste
A frigate's signals fearless burned.
Her prows and banners seaward turned;
And on Potomac's broadening waste
A frigate's signals fearless burned.
Descending, she with proud disdain
Anchored abreast a threatening fort;
Then stormy poured her iron rain,
That shook the shores with far report.
Anchored abreast a threatening fort;
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That shook the shores with far report.
The fort's resistance quickly slept:
Dark scornful, on her downward path
Again the frigate silent swept;
Wrath that she could not slake her wrath.
Dark scornful, on her downward path
Again the frigate silent swept;
Wrath that she could not slake her wrath.
Summer still warmed the autumn wind,
And verdure shared with reddening tints
The leafy wealth, and breezes kind
Shook on the water tenderest prints,
And verdure shared with reddening tints
The leafy wealth, and breezes kind
Shook on the water tenderest prints,
As with her shade that westward swept,
With spars and masts sail-crested all,
The frowning frigate mutely crept,
Like goblin through a festival.
With spars and masts sail-crested all,
The frowning frigate mutely crept,
Like goblin through a festival.
“Whose house stands there?”—And he, thus asked,
Answered, “Mount Vernon.” By the name
The Captain's recollection tasked—
“The home of Washington?” “The same.”
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The Captain's recollection tasked—
“The home of Washington?” “The same.”
“And lies he buried there?” The words
Stooped, laden with emotion's load.
“Beneath those trees, where hymn the birds,
There is the body's still abode.”
Stooped, laden with emotion's load.
“Beneath those trees, where hymn the birds,
There is the body's still abode.”
His eyes grew deeper. By degrees,
As one with vast imaginings
Possest, who in high distance sees
Resplendent forms of palmy things,
As one with vast imaginings
Possest, who in high distance sees
Resplendent forms of palmy things,
An earnest joy perfused his face:
Unconsciously his cap he raised
With a religious knightly grace,
As, inward wrought, afar he gazed.
Unconsciously his cap he raised
With a religious knightly grace,
As, inward wrought, afar he gazed.
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“Beat to quarters.” The order flew
Swift to the hot pugnacious drum,
At whose loved voice upsprang the crew,
Thinking another fight was come.
Swift to the hot pugnacious drum,
At whose loved voice upsprang the crew,
Thinking another fight was come.
But soon 't was whispered 'mong the men,
When each stood braced beside his gun,
That death was not their duty then,
But calm salute to Washington.
When each stood braced beside his gun,
That death was not their duty then,
But calm salute to Washington.
By the strong cannon's measured speech
Was tamed the roughness of their pride,
As wrinkles on a wintry beach
By sounding blows from landward tide.
Was tamed the roughness of their pride,
As wrinkles on a wintry beach
By sounding blows from landward tide.
And when had passed the smoke away
Passed too was hate and scorn and wrath:
Within her breast for night was day,
As swam the frigate down her path.
Passed too was hate and scorn and wrath:
Within her breast for night was day,
As swam the frigate down her path.
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His holy strength had conquered strife,
Subduing hearts so stout and brave:
A mighty conqueror in his life,
A mightier is he in his grave.
Subduing hearts so stout and brave:
A mighty conqueror in his life,
A mightier is he in his grave.
III.
TRIBUTE.
Sublimer man than ever threw
To eager Time a virgin name,—
So greatly pure it quickly grew
The wisest monitor of fame;
To eager Time a virgin name,—
So greatly pure it quickly grew
The wisest monitor of fame;
A nation's breath is breath of thine,
Commingled at each human birth:
Of our vast freedom's life the wine
Is draughts from thy deep manly worth.
Commingled at each human birth:
Of our vast freedom's life the wine
Is draughts from thy deep manly worth.
The robust beauty of one life
Tingles in each unfolding heart,
A strength forever in the strife
Of right 'gainst wrong's compulsive art.
Tingles in each unfolding heart,
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Of right 'gainst wrong's compulsive art.
Sublimest man of all the years,
The years are proud to walk with thee:
On Time's hoar brow thy greatness rears
His crown of lordliest majesty.
The years are proud to walk with thee:
On Time's hoar brow thy greatness rears
His crown of lordliest majesty.
1858.
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