Panama and Other Poems Narrative and Occasional :: :: University of Virginia Library

Man said unto himself: “Lo I will build
“A stately palace to defy the deep,
“Vaster than any yet of man conceived,
“And I will furnish it with pomp of gold,
“Splendour of steel and armoury of iron,
“With gardens and with purple pleasure-domes,
“Arbours of bloom, and terraces, and streets;
“A city to outride the wildest storm,
“To whisper without wire o'er all the waves,
“And murmur messages from central seas,
“Making the foam her tame interpreter.
“Let nature strike her howsoe'er she will,
“With lightning, or with thunder, or with ice,
“I send her seaward unassailable.
“O space unmeasured, where is now thy sting?
“O silence, where is now thy victory?”
So did he launch her in his pride of heart.
And nature heard his vaunt, but answered not
With thunder, nor convulsion of the earth,

Waiting. The Titan she a while allowed
Outward, with dreadful calm inviting her.
Swiftly the Titan swimming in full pride,
While men and women danced upon her deck,
Suddenly crashed into an isle of ice,
That silent ghostly sentinel of the seas.
They split, they split in twain, the armoured ribs,
Arbours and terraces and pleasure-domes
Reel to the deep; none dance, nor sing, but see
Darkness, and over them the glimmering berg;
Down went the pride of man and all his boast.
Nature, so far thou hadst thy will; to bring
To naught the works of man, sternly remind,
And re-assert thy ancient majesty.
But this thou couldst not quell, that never one,
Till child and woman were brought safe away,
Sought boat, but sank in silence to his grave.
In silence husband saw his wife depart,
In silence kissed his child and let it go.
Tearless the bridegroom bade his bride fare-well,
Turning his face unto the hopeless main.
No cry was heard; in serried order stood
Captain and crew, the young man and the old,

The man of millions and the man of pence
Went down unmurmuring to an equal tomb.
The liners race to find a barren sea;
Yet sea—that now hath treasure more than pearl.
You, then, that wail by harbour or by hearth—
Widow, or orphan, mother, bride or friend,
Envy the exaltation of that death!
Forgetting in that grand bereavement, grief!