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Sea Captains, Young or Old

per.00131.002

SEA CAPTAINS, YOUNG OR OLD.1

To-day a rude brief recitative, Of ships sailing the seas, each with its special flag or 
  ship-signal;
Of unnamed heroes in the ships—of waves spreading 
  and spreading, far as the eye can reach;
Of dashing spray, and the winds piping and plowing 
 —and out of these a chant,
Fitful, like a surge.
Of sea-captains young or old, and the mates; Of him on the Northfleet—of the intrepid sailors of 
  all nations;
Of the few, very choice, taciturn, whom fate can 
  never surprise, nor death dismay,
Pick'd sparingly, without noise, by thee, old Ocean 
 —chosen by thee,
(Thou Sea, that pickest and cullest the race, in Time, 
  and unitest nations;)
Suckled by thee, old husky Nurse—embodying thee, Indomitable, untamed as thee.
Ever the heroes, on water or on land, by ones or twos 
  appearing,
Ever the stock preserved, and never lost though 
  rare, (enough for seed preserved.)
Flaunt out to sea, your separate flags of nations! Flaunt out, visible as ever, the various ship-signals; But do thou reserve especially for thyself, O sea, 
  and for the soul of man, one flag above all the 
  rest,
A spiritual woven signal, for all nations, emblem of 
  man elate above death,
Token of all brave captains, and all intrepid sailors 
  and mates,
And all that went down doing their duty; Reminiscent of them—twined from all intrepid cap- 
 tains, young or old;
A pennant universal, subtly waving, all time, o'er all 
  brave sailors,
All seas, all ships.
WALT WHITMAN.

Notes

1. Reprinted as "Song for All Seas, All Ships" in Two Rivulets (1876). [back]

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