 | Leaves of grass. |  |
BURIAL.
1
1 To think of it!
To think of time — of all that retrospection !
To think of to-day and the ages continued hence- forward!
2 Have you guess'd you yourself would not continue?
Have you dreaded these earth-beetles ?
Have you fear'd the future would be nothing to you ?
3 Is to-day nothing ? Is the beginningless past nothing ?
If the future is nothing, they are just as surely nothing.
4 To think that the sun rose in the east ! that men and women were flexible, real, alive ! that every- thing was alive !
To think that you and I did not see, feel, think, nor bear our part !
To think that we are now here, and bear our part !
To think of time — of all that retrospection !
To think of to-day and the ages continued hence- forward!
2 Have you guess'd you yourself would not continue?
Have you dreaded these earth-beetles ?
Have you fear'd the future would be nothing to you ?
3 Is to-day nothing ? Is the beginningless past nothing ?
If the future is nothing, they are just as surely nothing.
4 To think that the sun rose in the east ! that men and women were flexible, real, alive ! that every- thing was alive !
To think that you and I did not see, feel, think, nor bear our part !
To think that we are now here, and bear our part !
2
5 Not a day passes
— not a minute or second, without
an
accouchement !
Not a day passes — not a minute or second, without a corpse !
6 The dull nights go over, and the dull days also,
The soreness of lying so much in bed goes over,
The physician, after long putting off, gives the silent and terrible look for an answer,
The children come hurried and weeping, and the
brothers and
sisters are sent for,
Medicines stand unused on the shelf — (the camphor- smell has long pervaded the rooms,)
The faithful hand of the living does not desert the hand of the dying,
The twitching lips press lightly on the forehead of the dying,
The breath ceases, and the pulse of the heart ceases,
The corpse stretches on the bed, and the living look upon it,
It is palpable as the living are palpable.
7 The living look upon the corpse with their eye- sight,
But without eye-sight lingers a different living, and looks curiously on the corpse.
Not a day passes — not a minute or second, without a corpse !
6 The dull nights go over, and the dull days also,
The soreness of lying so much in bed goes over,
The physician, after long putting off, gives the silent and terrible look for an answer,
299
Medicines stand unused on the shelf — (the camphor- smell has long pervaded the rooms,)
The faithful hand of the living does not desert the hand of the dying,
The twitching lips press lightly on the forehead of the dying,
The breath ceases, and the pulse of the heart ceases,
The corpse stretches on the bed, and the living look upon it,
It is palpable as the living are palpable.
7 The living look upon the corpse with their eye- sight,
But without eye-sight lingers a different living, and looks curiously on the corpse.
3
8 To think that the rivers
will flow, and the snow
fall, and
fruits ripen, and act upon others as
upon us now
— yet not act upon us !
To think of all these wonders of city and country, and others taking great interest in them — and we taking no interest in them !
9 To think how eager we are in building our houses !
To think others shall be just as eager, and we quite indifferent !
10 I see one building the house that serves him a few years, or seventy or eighty years at most,
I see one building the house that serves him longer than that.
11 Slow-moving and black lines creep over the whole earth — they never cease — they are the burial lines,
He that was President was buried, and he that is now
President
shall surely be buried.
To think of all these wonders of city and country, and others taking great interest in them — and we taking no interest in them !
9 To think how eager we are in building our houses !
To think others shall be just as eager, and we quite indifferent !
10 I see one building the house that serves him a few years, or seventy or eighty years at most,
I see one building the house that serves him longer than that.
11 Slow-moving and black lines creep over the whole earth — they never cease — they are the burial lines,
300
4
12 Cold dash of waves at
the ferry-wharf — posh and
ice in the
river, half-frozen mud in the streets,
a gray
discouraged sky overhead, the short last
daylight of
Twelfth-month,
A hearse and stages — other vehicles give place — the funeral of an old Broadway stage-driver, the cortege mostly drivers.
13 Steady the trot to the cemetery, duly rattles the death-bell, the gate is pass'd, the new-dug grave is halted at, the living alight, the hearse un- closes,
The coffin is pass'd out, lower'd and settled, the whip is laid on the coffin, the earth is swiftly shovel'd in,
The mound above is flatted with the spades — silence,
A minute, no one moves or speaks — it is done,
He is decently put away — is there anything more ?
14 He was a good fellow, free-mouth'd, quick-temper'd, not bad-looking, able to take his own part, witty, sensitive to a slight, ready with life or death for a friend, fond of women, gambled, ate hearty, drank hearty, had known what it was to be flush, grew low-spirited toward the last, sicken'd, was help'd by a contribution, died, aged forty-one years — and that was his funeral.
15 Thumb extended, finger uplifted, apron, cape, gloves, strap, wet-weather clothes, whip carefully chosen, boss, spotter, starter, hostler, somebody loafing on you, you loafing on somebody, head- way, man before and man behind, good day's work, bad day's work, pet stock, mean stock, first out, last out, turning-in at night;
To think that these are so much and so nigh to other
drivers
— and he there takes no interest in
them !
A hearse and stages — other vehicles give place — the funeral of an old Broadway stage-driver, the cortege mostly drivers.
13 Steady the trot to the cemetery, duly rattles the death-bell, the gate is pass'd, the new-dug grave is halted at, the living alight, the hearse un- closes,
The coffin is pass'd out, lower'd and settled, the whip is laid on the coffin, the earth is swiftly shovel'd in,
The mound above is flatted with the spades — silence,
A minute, no one moves or speaks — it is done,
He is decently put away — is there anything more ?
14 He was a good fellow, free-mouth'd, quick-temper'd, not bad-looking, able to take his own part, witty, sensitive to a slight, ready with life or death for a friend, fond of women, gambled, ate hearty, drank hearty, had known what it was to be flush, grew low-spirited toward the last, sicken'd, was help'd by a contribution, died, aged forty-one years — and that was his funeral.
15 Thumb extended, finger uplifted, apron, cape, gloves, strap, wet-weather clothes, whip carefully chosen, boss, spotter, starter, hostler, somebody loafing on you, you loafing on somebody, head- way, man before and man behind, good day's work, bad day's work, pet stock, mean stock, first out, last out, turning-in at night;
301
5
16 The markets, the
government, the working-man's
wages
— to think what account they are through
our nights
and days !
To think that other working-men will make just as great account of them — yet we make little or no account !
17 The vulgar and the refined — what you call sin, and what you call goodness — to think how wide a difference !
To think the difference will still continue to others, yet we lie beyond the difference.
18 To think how much pleasure there is !
Have you pleasure from looking at the sky? have you pleasure from poems ?
Do you enjoy yourself in the city ? or engaged in business ? or planning a nomination and elec- tion ? or with your wife and family ?
Or with your mother and sisters ? or in womanly house-work ? or the beautiful maternal cares ?
These also flow onward to others — you and I flow onward,
But in due time you and I shall take less interest in them.
19 Your farm, profits, crops, — to think how engross'd you are !
To think there will still be farms, profits, crops — yet for you, of what avail ?
To think that other working-men will make just as great account of them — yet we make little or no account !
17 The vulgar and the refined — what you call sin, and what you call goodness — to think how wide a difference !
To think the difference will still continue to others, yet we lie beyond the difference.
18 To think how much pleasure there is !
Have you pleasure from looking at the sky? have you pleasure from poems ?
Do you enjoy yourself in the city ? or engaged in business ? or planning a nomination and elec- tion ? or with your wife and family ?
Or with your mother and sisters ? or in womanly house-work ? or the beautiful maternal cares ?
These also flow onward to others — you and I flow onward,
But in due time you and I shall take less interest in them.
19 Your farm, profits, crops, — to think how engross'd you are !
To think there will still be farms, profits, crops — yet for you, of what avail ?
6
20 What will be, will be
well — for what is, is well,
To take interest is well, and not to take interest shall be well.
21 The sky continues
beautiful,
The pleasure of men with women shall never be sated, nor the pleasure of women with men, nor the pleasure from poems,
The domestic joys, the daily housework or business, the building of houses — these are not phan- tasms — they have weight, form, location;
Farms, profits, crops, markets, wages, government, are none of them phantasms,
The difference between sin and goodness is no de- lusion,
The earth is not an echo — man and his life, and all the things of his life, are well-consider'd.
22 You are not thrown to the winds — you gather cer- tainly and safely around yourself;
Yourself ! Yourself ! Yourself, forever and ever !
To take interest is well, and not to take interest shall be well.
302
The pleasure of men with women shall never be sated, nor the pleasure of women with men, nor the pleasure from poems,
The domestic joys, the daily housework or business, the building of houses — these are not phan- tasms — they have weight, form, location;
Farms, profits, crops, markets, wages, government, are none of them phantasms,
The difference between sin and goodness is no de- lusion,
The earth is not an echo — man and his life, and all the things of his life, are well-consider'd.
22 You are not thrown to the winds — you gather cer- tainly and safely around yourself;
Yourself ! Yourself ! Yourself, forever and ever !
7
23 It is not to diffuse you
that you were born of your
mother and
father — it is to identify you,
It is not that you should be undecided, but that you should be decided;
Something long preparing and formless is arrived and form'd in you,
You are henceforth secure, whatever comes or goes.
24 The threads that were spun are gathered, the weft crosses the warp, the pattern is systematic.
25 The preparations have every one been justified,
The orchestra have sufficiently tuned their instru- ments — the baton has given the signal.
26 The guest that was coming — he waited long, for reasons — he is now housed,
He is one of those who are beautiful and happy — he is one of those that to look upon and be with is enough.
27 The law of the past
cannot be eluded,
The law of the present and future cannot be eluded,
The law of the living cannot be eluded — it is eternal,
The law of promotion and transformation cannot be eluded,
The law of heroes and good-doers cannot be eluded,
The law of drunkards, informers, mean persons — not one iota thereof can be eluded.
It is not that you should be undecided, but that you should be decided;
Something long preparing and formless is arrived and form'd in you,
You are henceforth secure, whatever comes or goes.
24 The threads that were spun are gathered, the weft crosses the warp, the pattern is systematic.
25 The preparations have every one been justified,
The orchestra have sufficiently tuned their instru- ments — the baton has given the signal.
26 The guest that was coming — he waited long, for reasons — he is now housed,
He is one of those who are beautiful and happy — he is one of those that to look upon and be with is enough.
303
The law of the present and future cannot be eluded,
The law of the living cannot be eluded — it is eternal,
The law of promotion and transformation cannot be eluded,
The law of heroes and good-doers cannot be eluded,
The law of drunkards, informers, mean persons — not one iota thereof can be eluded.
8
28 Slow moving and black
lines go ceaselessly over the
earth,
Northerner goes carried, and Southerner goes carried, and they on the Atlantic side, and they on the Pacific, and they between, and all through the Mississippi country, and all over the earth.
29 The great masters and kosmos are well as they go — the heroes and good-doers are well,
The known leaders and inventors, and the rich own- ers and pious and distinguish'd, may be well,
But there is more account than that — there is strict account of all.
30 The interminable hordes of the ignorant and wicked are not nothing,
The barbarians of Africa and Asia are not nothing,
The common people of Europe are not nothing — the American aborigines are not nothing,
The infected in the immigrant hospital are not noth- ing — the murderer or mean person is not nothing,
The perpetual successions of shallow people are not nothing as they go,
The lowest prostitute is not nothing — the mocker of religion is not nothing as he goes.
Northerner goes carried, and Southerner goes carried, and they on the Atlantic side, and they on the Pacific, and they between, and all through the Mississippi country, and all over the earth.
29 The great masters and kosmos are well as they go — the heroes and good-doers are well,
The known leaders and inventors, and the rich own- ers and pious and distinguish'd, may be well,
But there is more account than that — there is strict account of all.
30 The interminable hordes of the ignorant and wicked are not nothing,
The barbarians of Africa and Asia are not nothing,
The common people of Europe are not nothing — the American aborigines are not nothing,
The infected in the immigrant hospital are not noth- ing — the murderer or mean person is not nothing,
The perpetual successions of shallow people are not nothing as they go,
The lowest prostitute is not nothing — the mocker of religion is not nothing as he goes.
304
9
31 I shall go with the rest
— we have satisfaction,
I have dream'd that we are not to be changed so much, nor the law of us changed,
I have dream'd that heroes and good-doers shall be under the present and past law,
And that murderers, drunkards, liars, shall be under the present and past law,
For I have dream'd that the law they are under now is enough.
32 And I have dream'd that the satisfaction is not so much changed, and that there is no life with- out satisfaction:
What is the earth? what are Body and Soul, without satisfaction?
33 I shall go with the rest,
We cannot be stopt at a given point — that is no satis- faction,
To show us a good thing, or a few good things, for a space of time — that is no satisfaction,
We must have the indestructible breed of the best, regardless of time.
34 If otherwise, all these things came but to ashes of dung,
If maggots and rats ended us, then alarum! for we are betray'd!
Then indeed suspicion of death.
35 Do you suspect death? If I were to suspect death, I should die now,
Do you think I could walk pleasantly and well-suited toward annihilation?
I have dream'd that we are not to be changed so much, nor the law of us changed,
I have dream'd that heroes and good-doers shall be under the present and past law,
And that murderers, drunkards, liars, shall be under the present and past law,
For I have dream'd that the law they are under now is enough.
32 And I have dream'd that the satisfaction is not so much changed, and that there is no life with- out satisfaction:
What is the earth? what are Body and Soul, without satisfaction?
33 I shall go with the rest,
We cannot be stopt at a given point — that is no satis- faction,
To show us a good thing, or a few good things, for a space of time — that is no satisfaction,
We must have the indestructible breed of the best, regardless of time.
34 If otherwise, all these things came but to ashes of dung,
If maggots and rats ended us, then alarum! for we are betray'd!
Then indeed suspicion of death.
35 Do you suspect death? If I were to suspect death, I should die now,
Do you think I could walk pleasantly and well-suited toward annihilation?
10
36 Pleasantly and
well-suited I walk,
Whither I walk I cannot define, but I know it is good,
The whole universe indicates that it is good,
The past and the present indicate that it is good.
37 How beautiful and perfect are the animals! How perfect is my Soul!
How perfect the earth, and the minutest thing upon it!
What is called good is perfect, and what is called bad is just as perfect,
The vegetables and minerals are all perfect, and the imponderable fluids are perfect;
Slowly and surely they have pass'd on to this, and slowly and surely they yet pass on.
38 My Soul! if I realize you, I have satisfaction,
Animals and vegetables! if I realize you, I have sat- isfaction,
Laws of the earth and air! if I realize you, I have satisfaction.
39 I cannot define my satisfaction, yet it is so,
I cannot define my life, yet it is so.
Whither I walk I cannot define, but I know it is good,
305
The past and the present indicate that it is good.
37 How beautiful and perfect are the animals! How perfect is my Soul!
How perfect the earth, and the minutest thing upon it!
What is called good is perfect, and what is called bad is just as perfect,
The vegetables and minerals are all perfect, and the imponderable fluids are perfect;
Slowly and surely they have pass'd on to this, and slowly and surely they yet pass on.
38 My Soul! if I realize you, I have satisfaction,
Animals and vegetables! if I realize you, I have sat- isfaction,
Laws of the earth and air! if I realize you, I have satisfaction.
39 I cannot define my satisfaction, yet it is so,
I cannot define my life, yet it is so.
11
40 It comes to me now!
I swear I think now that everything without excep- tion has an eternal Soul!
The trees have, rooted in the ground! the weeds of the sea have! the animals!
41 I swear I think there is nothing but immortality!
That the exquisite scheme is for it, and the nebulous float is for it, and the cohering is for it;
And all preparation is for it! and identity is for it! and life and death are altogether for it!
I swear I think now that everything without excep- tion has an eternal Soul!
The trees have, rooted in the ground! the weeds of the sea have! the animals!
41 I swear I think there is nothing but immortality!
That the exquisite scheme is for it, and the nebulous float is for it, and the cohering is for it;
And all preparation is for it! and identity is for it! and life and death are altogether for it!
306
| Leaves of grass. | |