In a happy Runic rhyme, To the moaning and the groaning of the bells. ELDORADO Gayly bedight, A gallant knight, In sunshine and in shadow, Singing a song, In search of Eldorado. But he grew old This knight so bold And o'er his heart a shadow Fell as he found No spot of ground That looked like Eldorado. And, as his strength He met a pilgrim shadow - "Where can it be This land of Eldorado?" TO HELEN Helen, thy beauty is to me Like those Nicéan barks of yore, On desperate seas long wont to roam, Lo! in yon brilliant window-niche How statue-like I see thee stand, WALT WHITMAN MANAHATTA I was asking for something specific and perfect for my city, Whereupon lo! upsprang the aboriginal name. Now I see what there is in a name, a word, liquid, sane, unruly, musical, self-sufficient, I see that the word of my city is that word from of old, Because I see that word nested in nests of water-bays, superb, Rich, hemmed thick all around with sail ships and steam ships, an island sixteen miles long, solidfounded, 10 Numberless crowded streets high growths of iron, slender, strong, light, splendidly arising towards 15 clear skies, Tides swift and ample, well-loved by me, towards sundown, The flowing sea-currents, the little islands, larger adjoining islands, the heights, the villas, The countless masts, the white shore-steamers, the lighters, the ferry-boats, the black sea-steamers well modelled, 20 The down-town streets, the jobber houses of business, the houses of business of the ship-merchants and the 25 money-brokers, the river-streets, Immigrants arriving, fifteen or twenty thousand in a week, The carts hauling goods, the manly race of drivers of horses, the brown-faced sailors, 30 The summer air, the bright sun shining, and the sailing clouds aloft, The winter snows, the sleigh-bells, the broken ice in the river, passing along up or down with the flood5 tide or ebb-tide, The mechanics of the city, the masters, well-formed, beautiful-faced, looking you straight in the eyes, Trottoirs thronged, vehicles, Broadway, the women, the shops and shows, 10 A million people - manners free and superb open voices-hospitality the most courageous and friendly young men, City of hurried and sparkling waters! city of spires and masts! 15 City nested in bays! my city! 20 PIONEERS! O PIONEERS! Come my tan-faced children, Follow well in order, get your weapons ready, Have you your pistols? have you your sharp-edged axes? Pioneers! O pioneers! For we cannot tarry here, We must march, my darlings, we must bear the brunt of danger, 25 We the youthful sinewy races, all the rest on us depend, Pioneers! O pioneers! |