Sluggish existences grazing there, suspended, or slowly crawling close to the bottom: The sperm-whale at the surface, blowing air and spray, or disporting with his flukes, The leaden-eyed shark, the walrus, the turtle, the hairy sea-leopard, and the sting-ray. Passions there, wars, pursuits, tribes—sight in those ocean-depths—breathing that thick breathing air, The change thence to the sight here, and to the subtle air, breathed by beings like us, who walk this sphere: The change onward from ours to that of beings who walk other spheres. TO THE STATES. To Identify the 16th, 17th, or 18th Presidentiad.* WH ́HY reclining, interrogating? Why myself and all drowsing? What deepening twilight! Scum floating atop of the waters! Who are they, as bats and night-dogs, askant in the Capitol? *These were the three Presidentships of Polk; of Taylor, succeeded by Fillmore; and of Pierce ;-1845 to 1857. What a filthy Presidentiad! (O South, your torrid suns! O North, your arctic freezings!) Are those really Congressmen? Are those the great Judges? Is that the President? Then I will sleep a while yet—for I see that these States sleep, for reasons. With gathering murk-with muttering thunder and lambent shoots, we all duly awake, South, North, East, West, inland and seaboard, we will surely awake. TEARS. T EARS! tears! tears! In the night, in solitude, tears; On the white shore dripping, dripping, sucked in by the sand; Tears—not a star shining—all dark and desolate; Moist tears from the eyes of a muffled head : —O who is that ghost?—that form in the dark, with tears? What shapeless lump is that, bent, crouched there on the sand? Streaming tears—sobbing tears throes, choked wit cries; O storm, embodied, rising, careering, with swift along the beach; O wild and dismal night-storm, with wind! O belc and desperate! O shade, so sedate and decorous by day, with calm co tenance and regulated pace; But away, at night, as you fly, none looking—O then t unloosened ocean Of tears! tears! tears! A SHIP, I. ABOARD, at the ship's helm, A young steersman, steering with care. A bell through fog on a sea-coast dolefully ringing, O you give good notice indeed, you bell by the sea-reefs ringing, Ringing, ringing, to warn the ship from its wreck-place. For, as on the alert, O steersman, you mind the bell's admonition, ws turn, the freighted ship, tacking, speeds way under her grey sails, autiful and noble ship, with all her precious wealth, speeds away gaily and safe. 2. O the ship, the immortal ship! O ship aboard the ship! hip of the body—ship of the soul—voyaging, voyaging, voyaging. GREATNESSES. I. REAT are the myths—I too delight in them; GR Great are Adam and Eve—I too look back and accept them; Great the risen and fallen nations, and their poets, women, sages, inventors, rulers, warriors, and priests. Great is Liberty! great is Equality! I am their follower; Helmsmen of nations, choose your craft! where you sail, I sail, I weather it out with you, or sink with you. Great is Youth—equally great is Old Age—great are Day and Night; Great is Wealth—great is Poverty—great is Expressiongreat is silence. 2. Youth, large, lusty, loving-Youth, full of grace, force, fascination! Do you know that Old Age may come after you, with equal grace, force, fascination? Day, full-blown and splendid—Day of the immense sun, action, ambition, laughter, The Night follows close, with millions of suns, and sleep, and restoring darkness. Wealth, with the flush hand, fine clothes, hospitality; But then the soul's wealth, which is candour, knowledge, pride, enfolding love; Who goes for men and women showing Poverty richer than wealth? Expression of speech! in what is written or said, forget not that Silence is also expressive; That anguish as hot as the hottest, and contempt as cold as the coldest, may be without words. |