The Patriotic Poems of Walt Whitman

PRINKLE

ed bunting! f

flag-long yet your road, a

see at issue at

I see interwoven with y

of kings, highest born

sure and steady step, pass

eavens mighty symbol-

! thick-sprin

BEAT!

drums!-blow!

through doors-burst

hurch, and scatte

where the scho

quiet-no happiness must h

y peace, ploughing his fie

d pound you drums-so s

drums!-blow!

ties-over the rumble o

at night in the houses? no sl

y day-no brokers or specu

talking? would the si

n the court to state hi

, heavier drums-you

drums!-blow!

y-stop for no

id-mind not the

d man beseechin

oice be heard, nor th

shake the dead where the

O terrible drums-so

OF

of

ships! O the

arp-bow'd steam-sh

rld! (for all

the earth make co

ity of hurried and

ually rush or recede, whirling

ores-city of tall fa?a

city-mettlesome, ma

r peace alone, but be i

to no models but

ate me as I have

you offer'd me-whom yo

stion you-I love all-I

te all that is your

peace, but now the

y song through yo

NKS HARD-PREST, A

ks hard-prest, and

vy wood with muffled

oss severe, and the su

mer upon us the lights o

in the woods, and halt by

at the crossing roads, n

see a sight beyond all the p

est black, just lit by m

ch stationary with wild red

orms vaguely I see on the flo

, a mere lad, in danger of bleeding

rarily (the youngster's

weep my eyes o'er the sc

eyond description, most in o

ts holding lights, the smell

f the bloody forms, the

on planks or stretchers, som

r cry, the doctor's sh

steel instruments catching

ant, I see again the f

e orders given, Fall

ying lad, his eyes open,

lmly close, and I speed

ver in darkness march

n road sti

OM THE FIE

lds father, here's a

oor mother, here's a le

tis a

s, deeper green, y

illages with leaves flutt

orchards hang and grape

mell of the grap

eat where the bees w

m, so transparent after the r

vital and beautiful, an

fields all p

ds come father, come

mother, to the front

rries, something omino

to smooth her hair

envelop

son's writing, yet

s for our dear son, O

flashes with black, she c

ound in the breast, cavalry

w, but will s

single fi

wealthy Ohio with all

face and dull in t

mb of a d

r (the just-grown daughte

huddle around speec

the letter says Pet

etter (nor may be needs to be bet

t home at the door

y son i

her needs t

form presently

'd, then at night fitful

g, weeping, longing w

w unnoticed, silent from

ek, to be with h

LIGHT

late alone by the f

r-scenes-of the countles

s unindented air's and

e, with grim burial-squads,

merica, North, South, East,

and's farms, from fertile P

est, Virginia, the Sou

ws and half-lights in the n

on-filing, rising-I hear the

es all, all-you dark b

of duty long neglected-your myst

me from out the dark

ep within my heart recordi

ire of unknown names

love in this

P IN THE DAYBR

in the daybrea

t I emerge so

ol fresh air the path ne

etchers lying, brought o

t spread, ample brow

blanket, foldin

halt and s

m the face of the nearest the

nd grim, with well-gray'd hair, an

ou my dea

step-and who are you

et boy with che

hild nor old, very calm, as of

u-I think this face is the

brother of all, an

MBLED AND REE

mbled and ree

arm enough, yet the ai

through the sunsh

triumphant songs?

to chant the cold di

n hymns o

ONGS FOR

ongs for

stretch'd tympanum pri

est to arms, how

the limbs unwaiting

anhattan, my o

hour of danger, in cris

rew off the costumes of p

hanged, and the drum and fi

hat shall serve for our p

ttan drum

in my city seen

ll unawares the lady of this

hips, her houses, he

n children arou

ght, at news

with clinch'd ha

ric, the nigh

our hive at daybreak p

d the workshops, and th

tuous, and lo! M

rum-taps

n falling in

he jack-plane, the blacksmith's ham

office and arming, the

street, jumping down, throwing the rei

store, the boss, book-kee

rywhere by common

n show them how to wear their accoutrem

ors arming, the flash

the arm'd sentries around, the s

day, pass through the city,

p down to the river, sweaty, wit

, with their brown faces and their cl

ty up-arm'd! arm'd!

eeples of churches and from all

mother kisses her son,

art, yet not a word does

he ranks of policemen pr

he wild cheers of the cr

ns bright as gold, drawn along,

s, soon to cea

d to begin the

reparation, all the

ce, the lint, band

urses, the work begun for in

vancing, the welcome for

or years, an arm'd race

rch-and it's O

manly life

sturdy a

, the work for giants,

the past forty years for sa

now besides pow

of ships, y

s proud, friendly

u were pensive or covertly f

with joy exultin

E BANNER A

o

song, a

pping, flapping, by sou

voice and th

the child's voice and sea'

round and hi

where father a

air where th

ner at daybre

k-words! w

re, for hea

in the open air

er and pennan

the chord a

desire, I'll twine the

flashing point, I'll le

symbol and menace f

oice, Arouse and bewa

streams of blood, full

unch forth, to

er and pennan

nn

here, ba

here, so

re, dear l

winds with me, and play w

h

n the sky beckoning t

it say to me

th

babe you se

to you it says-bu

gs in the houses, and see y

preparing to crawl alon

how valued and

d by all

o

red the sun i

distant blue careerin

the breast of the sea

wind from west

t with milk-white

the sea nor

wind with gir

hich strengthens, not

ver lashes its own bo

unseen comes and s

ooks and scoots in

ow in the woods mo

and the hissing wave, and

flapping a

h

e-it is full of peo

me it is talking

alks to me-O i

spreads and runs s

d it covers t

th

se, my foo

is sorrowful to me,

in I say, behold not ban

vements behold, and mark

and P

hild O bard ou

ll, or north or s

ll the rest, to us over a

ere strips of clot

pping in

o

e not strips

armies, I hear the

shouts of millions o

s beat and the

broad swift-ris

and use the wings of the sea-bird

ults of peace, I see populous

see the farmers working

see buildings everywhere fo

speeding along railroad tra

, of Boston, Baltimore,

e immense area of grain,

North, and again to the Southern p

e countless profit, the bus

hirty-eight spacious and haughty

s of harbours, see shi

my little and lengthen'd p

war and defiance-and now

road and blue, side

ce over all th

and P

stronger, bard! yet

hildren deem us ric

r and carnage,

ese spacious and haughty Sta

pot we, nor money

brown and spreading land, a

sea are ours, and the

isten, and the crops a

ips sailing in and out a

the three or four millions o

people-O bard! in li

rth flaunt out maste

ne, for a thousand year

e soul of one p

h

I like not

me be anything, n

would like, O father d

I would be

th

you fill me

nnant would b

it is this day, and a

ything, Forward to stand in front of wars-and

demons, slaughter

nn

d death t

will I, sword-shap

ecstatic, and the pratt

the peaceful land and t

fighting on the se

far, far north, with r

e sound of soldiers marching,

r the beach on my Eastern shore

, and my ever running Missis

and my Kansas fields, an

the whole identity wit

asks, which sings, with

ng, claiming, de

der lip, nor mus

erging for food, our vo

e crows here

o

s dilate, my them

out of the night, I sing

I waited long, too lon

are come to me (a li

ennant of war your ir

(yet I at any rate

all their prosperity (if need be, you shall agai

valuable houses, standing fast, f

not an hour except you abov

are you, not farm produce you,

s, nor landed on wh

ail-power or steam-power, f

trade, nor revenues-but y

, bringing your cluster of

utting the air, touch'd by

nd yearn'd for by on

r smartly talking, forever

where you undulate like a

et furiously fought for, risk

ading the day with stars

ll and demanding all-(absolute ow

t is, it is nothing-houses, mach

nnant! O banner so broad, w

p there in

YING

ent-early part of th

s of order, ea

songs of beauty

cence-(likely 't

oyhood)-More than

man, a fighter unde

hot-blooded, no talker

ught well-had been all thr

ters, church-deacons,

ir ears, towards his murm

rn again to

scenes-to forming

ts ahead re

ons, the gr

ing aids, car

he fallen, the he

g, the smoke, the

ife of peace!-yo

d wild battle

OUND-

ding I come am

ward resuming in a

as from young men an

hought to beat the alarum

l'd me, my face droop'd

and soothe them, or si

enes, of these furious

s one side so brave? the

n, paint the mighti

apid so wondrous wha

latest and deepest

nts or sieges tremendou

ung men I love a

hose the strangest and su

after a long march cove

nge in the fight, loudly shout

s-yet lo, like a swift-

de-I dwell not on soldier

y the hardships, few the

e, in dreams'

gain and appearance

gotten, and waves wash t

ning I enter the doors

low without noise an

andages, wate

swift to my

he ground after the

ss blood reddens th

hospital tent, or unde

f cots up and down

fter another I draw n

holding a tray, he

lotted rags and blood, e

rd go,

s and steady han

, the pangs are sha

appealing eyes-poor

use this moment to die for

doors of time! ope

s (poor crazed hand tea

man with the bullet thro

quite glazed already the e

h! be persuaded

y come

of the arm, the

remove the slough, wash

ldier bends with curv'd n

face is pale, he dares no

ot yet lo

nd in the sid

, for see the frame a

ow-blue coun

d shoulder, the foot

wing and putrid gangrene,

nds behind aside me hol

ul, I do no

h, the knee, the w

passive hand (yet deep in my b

ce in dreams'

, I thread my way t

nded I pacify wi

s all the dark night

, I recall the expe

g arms about this neck

kiss dwells on th

OR TWO

ast s

from the fin

ere, and there be

w-made do

moon a

ast the silve

e house-tops, gha

and sile

sad pr

ound of coming f

f the city streets

ices and w

great dru

l drums stea

of the great co

through a

is brought w

anks of the fierce

on and father,

ble grave a

r blow th

s strike mor

over the pavement

ng dead-marc

tern sky u

vast phantom m

her's large tr

brighter

ad-march yo

th your silvery f

in! O my veterans

ve I also

gives y

and the drums

O my soldier

gives y

DAKOTA'

25,

Dakota'

the dusky Sioux, the lon

ful wail, haply a tr

ttle-b

de, the craft, the

fighting to the last

e circle, with their slaugh

er and all his o

he old, old leg

of life uph

anner perfect

rtune, O how

ng in da

ime's thick murk looking i

parts a fierce an

at the centre t

e forever at

th a light

awny flowing

d, pressing ever in front, bea

death the splendi

it or thee, I bring a

, aye in defeat most d

in which never yieldi

thee a memory s

ldest up

WAR-

eep of many a

the mortally wounded (of

eir backs with ar

I dream

ature, fields

r a storm, and at night th

own, where we dig the tren

I dream

ss'd, faces and t

moved with a callous composu

e time-but now of t

I dream

ATE C

ter! flag of

lands-all my s

atch'd you through the

flap and rustle,

flag, with the orb

uty-ah my woolly

song of you, my

d one, m

RTAIN C

dulcet rhy

ilian's peaceful and

I sang erewhile

while for you to follow,

n of the same as

ever to me sweet music, I

vulsive throb leading

how such a poet as I? t

h what you can understan

, and you will ne

TO A S

O so

campaigning (w

rch, the lif

of opposing fronts,

laughter, the stimulus,

arts, the trains of time throug

nd war's e

dear c

fulfill'd-but

is contentiou

r own campa

oads with ambushe

defeat and many a c

marching on, a war

ghtier battles

OO LONG

oo long

nd peaceful you learn'd fro

es of anguish, advancing, grappling

w to the world what your ch

yet conceiv'd what your chi