812 'Now strange,' quoth Sense, and 'Strange,' quoth Mind, 'We saw it, and yet 'tis hard to find, -But we saw it,' quoth Sense and Mind. BRET HARTE THE REVEILLE HARK! I hear the tramp of thousands, Freemen, come! Ere your heritage be wasted,' said the quick alarming drum. Let me of my heart take counsel: War is not of life the sum; When the autumn days shall come? Death shall reap the braver harvest,' said the solemn-sounding drum. 'But when won the coming battle, What if conquest, subjugation, Answered, 'Come! You must do the sum to prove it,' said the Yankee-answering drum. 'What if, 'mid cannons' thunder, Whistling shot and bursting bomb, When my brothers fall around me, Should my heart grow cold and numb?' Answered, 'Come! Better there in death united, than in life a recreant,-Come!' Thus they answered,-hoping, fearing, Some in faith, and doubting some, Till a trumpet-voice proclaiming, Said, 'My chosen people, come!' Lo! was dumb. For the great heart of the nation, throbbing, answered, 'Lord, we come!" 813 814 WALT WHITMAN [1819-1892] ONE'S-SELF I SING ONE'S-SELF I sing, a simple separate person, Yet utter the word Democratic, the word En-Masse. Of physiology from top to toe I sing, Not physiognomy alone nor brain alone is worthy for the Muse The Female equally with the Male I sing. Of Life immense in passion, pulse, and power, Cheerful, for freest action form'd under the laws divine, The Modern Man I sing. BEAT! BEAT! DRUMS! BEAT! beat! drums!-blow! bugles! blow! Through the windows-through doors--burst like a ruthless force, Into the school where the scholar is studying; Leave not the bridegroom quiet-no happiness must he have now with his bride, Nor the peaceful farmer any peace, ploughing his field or gathering his grain, So fierce you whirr and pound you drums-so shrill you bugles blow. Beat! beat! drums!-blow! bugles! blow! Over the traffic of cities-over the rumble of wheels in the streets; Are beds prepared for sleepers at night in the houses? no sleepers must sleep in those beds, No bargainers' bargains by day-no brokers or speculators-would they continue? Would the talkers be talking? would the singer attempt to sing? Would the lawyer rise in the court to state his case before the judge? Then rattle quicker, heavier drums-you bugles wilder blow. Beat! beat! drums!-blow! bugles! blow! Make no parley-stop for no expostulation, Mind not the timid-mind not the weeper or prayer, Mind not the old man beseeching the young man, Let not the child's voice be heard, nor the mother's entreaties, Make even the trestles to shake the dead where they lie awaiting the hearses, So strong you thump O terrible drums-so loud you bugles blow. 815 VIGIL STRANGE I KEPT ON THE FIELD ONE NIGHT VIGIL strange I kept on the field one night; When you my son and my comrade dropt at my side that day, One look I but gave which your dear eyes return'd with a look I shall never forget, One touch of your hand to mine O boy, reach'd up as you lay on the ground, Then onward I sped in the battle, the even-contested battle, Till late in the night reliev'd to the place at last again I made my way, Found you in death so cold dear comrade, found your body son of responding kisses (never again on earth responding), Bared your face in the starlight, curious the scene, cool blew the moderate night-wind, Long there and then in vigil I stood, dimly around me the battle-field spreading, Vigil wondrous and vigil sweet there in the fragrant silent night, But not a tear fell, not even a long-drawn sigh, long, long I gazed. Then on the earth partially reclining sat by your side leaning my chin in my hands, Passing sweet hours, immortal and mystic hours with you dearest comrade-not a tear, not a word. Vigil of silence, love and death, vigil for you my son and my soldier, Till at latest lingering of the night, indeed just as the dawn appear'd, Folded the blanket well, tucking it carefully over head and carefully under feet, And there and then and bathed by the rising sun, my son in his grave, in his rude-dug grave I deposited, Ending my vigil strange with that, vigil of night and battlefield dim, Vigil for boy of responding kisses (never again on earth responding), Vigil for comrade swiftly slain, vigil I never forget, how as day brighten'd, I rose from the chill ground and folded my soldier well in his blanket, And buried him where he fell. 816 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? For we cannot tarry here, We must march my darlings, we must bear the brunt of danger, Pioneers! O pioneers! O you youths, Western youths, So impatient, full of action, full of manly pride and friendship, Have the elder races halted? Do they droop and end their lesson, wearied over there beyond the seas? All the past we leave behind, We debouch upon a newer mightier world, varied world, Fresh and strong the world we seize, world of labor and the march, We detachments steady throwing, Down the edges, through the passes, up the mountains steep, Conquering, holding, daring, venturing as we go the unknown ways, Pioneers! O pioneers! We primeval forests felling, We the rivers stemming, vexing we and piercing deep the mines within, We the surface broad surveying, we the virgin soil upheaving, Pioneers! O pioneers! Colorado men are we, From the peaks gigantic, from the great sierras and the high plateaus, From the mine and from the gully, from the hunting trail we come, Pioneers! O pioneers! From Nebraska, from Arkansas, Central inland race are we, from Missouri, with the continental blood intervein'd, All the hands of comrades clasping, all the Southern, all the Northern, Pioneers! O pioneers! O resistless restless race! O beloved race in all! O my breast aches with tender love for all! Pioneers! O pioneers! Raise the mighty mother mistress, Waving high the delicate mistress, over all the starry mistress (bend your heads all), Raise the fang'd and warlike mistress, stern, impassive, weapon'd mistress, Pioneers! O pioneers! See my children, resolute children, By those swarms upon our rear we must never yield or falter, |