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 driversand he there takes no interest in them! 5 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! 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. To think how much pleasure there is! 50 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 election? or with your wife and family? Or with your mother and sisters? or in womanly housework? or the beautiful maternal cares? -These also flow onward to others--you and I flow onward, 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 What will be, will be well-for what is, is well, To take interest is well, and not to take interest shall be well. 60 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 phantasms-they have weight, form, location; Farms, profits, crops, markets, wages, government, are none of them phantasms,1 The difference between sin and goodness is no delusion,' The earth is not an echo-man and his life, and all the things of his life, are well-consider'd. You are not thrown to the winds-you gather certainly and safely around yourself; Yourself! Yourself! Yourself, forever and ever! 7 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 70 decided; Something long preparing and formless is arrived and form'd in you, You are henceforth secure, whatever comes or goes. The threads that were spun are gather'd, the weft crosses the warp, the pattern is systematic. The preparations have every one been justified, The orchestra have sufficiently tuned their instruments-the baton has given the signal. 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. 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, 80 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.3 1 1855 reads "they also are not phantasms." 8 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. 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 owners and pious and distinguish'd, may be well, But there is more account than that-there is strict account of all. The interminable hordes of the ignorant and wicked are not nothing, The barbarians of Africa and Asia are not nothing, 90 The common people of Europe are not nothing-the American aborigines are not nothing,' The infected in the immigrant hospital are not nothing-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. 9 Of and in all these things,' 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.3 1 After line 91, 1855 adds "A zambo or a foreheadless Crowfoot or a Comanche is not nothing.' 2 For line 95, 1855 '56 '60 '67 read "I shall go with the rest-we have satisfaction." 3 After line 99, 1855 '56 '60 read: "And I have dreamed that the satisfaction is not so much changed, and that there is no life without satisfaction; What is the earth? what are body and Soul, without satisfaction? If otherwise, all came but to ashes of dung, 100 If maggots and rats ended us, then Alarum! for we are betray'd! Then indeed suspicion of death.' 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? ΙΟ Pleasantly and well-suited I walk, Whither I walk I cannot define, but I know it is good, The past and the present indicate that it is good. How beautiful and perfect are the animals !? How perfect the earth, and the minutest thing upon it! 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." II "I swear I think now that everything without exception has an eternal Soul ! I shall go with the rest, We cannot be stopped at a given point-that is no satisfaction, 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." 1 For lines 101-2, 1855 '56 read "If maggots and rats ended us, then suspicion, treachery, death." 2 1855 '56 '60 '67 add "How perfect is my soul !" 3 1855 for "bad" reads "sin." 1855'56 '60'67 after line 113 read "O my soul! if I realize you I have satisfaction, Animals and vegetables! if I realize you I have satisfaction, Laws of the earth and air! if I realize you I have satisfaction. I cannot define my satisfaction-yet it is so. I cannot define my life-yet it is so." 5 1860 '67 begin stanza 11 "() it comes to me now." S " without exception" added in 1860. The trees have, rooted in the ground! the weeds of the sea have the animals ! 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 materials are altogether for it!1 CHANTING THE SQUARE DEIFIC. First published in "When Lilacs Last in the Door-yard Bloom'd," 1865-6. I CHANTING the square deific, out of the One advancing, out of the sides; Out of the old and new-out of the square entirely divine, Old Brahm I, and I Saturnius am; Not Time affects me-I am Time, old,2 modern as any; Relentless, I forgive no man-whoever sins, dies-I will have that man's life; Therefore let none expect mercy-Have the seasons, gravitation, the appointed days, mercy ?—No more have I; ΙΟ But as the seasons, and gravitation—and as all the appointed days, that forgive not, I dispense from this side judgments inexorable, without the least remorse. 2 Consolator most mild, the promis'd one advancing, With gentle hand extended—the mightier God am I, Foretold by prophets and poets, in their most rapt prophecies and poems ; 1 1855'56 read "and life and death are for it." 1860 '67 read "and life and death are altogether for it." 2 "old" added in 1870. |