Brave Adm'r'l, say but one good word: 5 Then, pale and worn, he kept his deck, And peered through darkness. Ah, that night It grew to be Time's burst of dawn. -Joaquin Miller. In stanza four, notice the description of a fierce storm at sea. Columbus says in his journal for October 11 that they had a high sea that day, "higher than hitherto." He kept his deck and peered through darkness-Columbus watched all night and was the first to see a light. If possible, his feelings should be imagined in reading of this momentous event in the world's history. A starlit flag unfurled-A part of the land discovered by him became the United States with its stars and stripes. Time's burst of dawn-a new era in the world's history. The poem should be read by the members of the history classes in their study of the period of discovery. One who does not endeavor to bring into play a vivid imagination cannot read it with full understanding and pleasure. CHICAGO: OCTOBER 10, 1871 The reference is, of course, to the Chicago fire, in which nearly one hundred thousand people were rendered homeless, more than three square miles were burned over, and property worth more than two hundred million dollars was destroyed. Chicago had grown up so rapidly that it is compared to Aladdin's palace, which was created in a night, as told in the Arabian Nights. The cry of Macedonia to Paul, in the Bible, was "come over and help us." All the civilized world responded generously to Chicago's cry for help. "The silver cup hid in the proffered meal" has reference to Joseph's putting his silver cup in his brother Benjamin's sack of corn. Genesis 44; 1-2, reads: 1. And he commanded the steward of his house, say, ing, Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put every man's money in his sack's mouth: 2. And put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack's mouth of the youngest, and his corn money. And he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken. CHICAGO: OCTOBER 10, 1871 1 Blackened and bleeding, helpless, panting prone, 2 Queen of the West! by some enchanter taught Then lose the spell that all that wonder wrought. 3 Like her own prairies by some chance seed sown, 4 She lifts her voice, and in her pleading call 5 But haply with wan fingers may she feel -Bret Harte. In one fierce night mown—has reference to prairie fires. THE WRECK OF THE HESPERUS The Wreck of the Hesperus is an imitation of the old English ballads in both spirit and form. Following the custom of the old ballad writers, Longfellow, in order to make the meter right, makes the accent fall upon the last syllable of "daughter" in the first verse, "sailor" in the fourth verse, and "daughter" in the eighth. Norman's Woe is the name of a dangerous reef off the coast of Gloucester, Mass. In December, 1839, an issue of the Boston Advertiser published an account of a vessel, The Hesperus, wrecked off this reef, with a woman's form lashed to the mast. About a fortnight later, after a violent storm, Longfellow rose in the middle of the night and wrote the poem in less than an hour. The detail of the ballad is, of course, his own invention. THE WRECK OF THE HESPERUS 1 It was the schooner Hesperus, That sailed the wintry sea; And the skipper had taken his little daughtér, To bear him company. 2 Blue were her eyes as the fairy-flax, Her cheeks like the dawn of day, And her bosom white as the hawthorn buds, That ope in the month of May. 3 The skipper he stood beside the helm, And he watched how the veering flaw did blow 4 Then up and spake an old sailor, 5 "Last night, the moon had a golden ring, The skipper, he blew a whiff from his pipe, 6 Colder and louder blew the wind, And the billows frothed like yeast. 7 Down came the storm, and smote amain The vessel in its strength; She shuddered and paused, like a frighted steed, Then leaped her cable's length. |