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Brave, brave were the soldiers (high named to-day) who lived through the fight; But the bravest press'd

The touch of flame—the illuminating fire—the loftiest look at last, O'er city, passion, sea—o'er prairie

, (was the answer,) We only know that we drift here with the rest, That we linger'd and lagg'd—but were

whenever the ebb or flood tide began the latter part of day, of punctually visiting those at that time populous

Intellectual and emotional natures would be at their best: Deaths were always easier; medicines seem'd

These two, with modern arms, transportation, and inventive American genius, would make the United States

oftener in autumn, perfectly clear weather, in plain sight, Camps far or near, the crowded streets of cities

endowing all those, Lighting the light, the sky and stars, delving the earth, sailing the sea, (What were

Cluster: Chants Democratic and Native American. (1860) CHANTS DEMOCRATIC AND NATIVE AMERICAN.

to American persons, progresses, cities? Chicago, Kanada, Arkansas?

city stands.

American masses!

AMERICAN mouth-songs!

Only I will establish in the Mannahatta and in every city of these States inland and seaboard, And in

Through youth and through middle and old age, how unfaltering, how affectionate and faithful they were

, menials, priests alarming, air breathing, water drinking, on the turf or the sea-beach dancing, Cities

and Oregon; Sojourning east a while longer, soon I travel toward you, to remain, to teach robust American

I DREAM'D in a dream I saw a city invincible to the attacks of the whole of the rest of the earth, I

dream'd that was the new city of Friends, Nothing was greater there than the quality of robust love,

it led the rest, It was seen every hour in the actions of the men of that city, And in all their looks

Or the vaunted glory and growth of the great city spread around me?

invisible, Now it is you, compact, visible, realizing my poems, seeking me, Fancying how happy you were

if I could be with you and become your comrade; Be it as if I were with you.

what persons and cities are here? Who are the infants, some playing, some slumbering?

I see the cities of the earth and make myself at random a part of them, I am a real Parisian, I am a

Christiania or Stockholm, or in Siberian Irkutsk, or in some street in Iceland, I descend upon all those cities

What cities the light or warmth penetrates I penetrate those cities myself, All islands to which birds

You flagg'd walks of the cities! you strong curbs at the edges! You ferries!

I think heroic deeds were all conceiv'd in the open air, and all free poems also, I think I could stop

Whoever accepts me he or she shall be blessed and shall bless me. 6 Now if a thousand perfect men were

many distant countries, habituès of far-distant dwellings, Trusters of men and women, observers of cities

couple, and the fruits of orchards and flowers of gardens, To take to your use out of the compact cities

Look'd toward the lower bay to notice the vessels arriving, Saw their approach, saw aboard those that were

and yellow light over the tops of houses, and down into the clefts of streets. 4 These and all else were

to me the same as they are to you, I loved well those cities, loved well the stately and rapid river

, The men and women I saw were all near to me, Others the same—others who look back on me because I look'd

also, The best I had done seem'd to me blank and suspicious, My great thoughts as I supposed them, were

SONG OF THE ANSWERER. 1 NOW list to my morning's romanza, I tell the signs of the Answerer, To the cities

, The best farms, others toiling and planting and he unavoidably reaps, The noblest and costliest cities

range and diversity—always the continent of Democracy; Always the prairies, pastures, forests, vast cities

floes, White drift spooning ahead where the ship in the tempest dashes, On solid land what is done in cities

fiddle, others sit on the gunwale smoking and talking; Late in the afternoon the mocking-bird, the American

rude carts, cotton bales piled on banks and wharves; Encircling all, vast-darting up and wide, the American

and down, casting swift shadows in specks on the opposite wall where the shine is; The athletic American

greatest city in the whole world. 5 The place where a great city stands is not the place of stretch'd

Where the city stands with the brawniest breed of orators and bards, Where the city stands that is belov'd

city of the healthiest fathers stands, Where the city of the best-bodied mothers stands, There the great

city stands. 6 How beggarly appear arguments before a defiant deed!

How the floridness of the materials of cities shrivels before a man's or woman's look!

Ships, farms, shops, barns, factories, mines, City and State, North, South, item and aggregate, We dedicate

cities and States in thee! Our freedom all in thee! our very lives in thee!

, To India and China and Australia and the thousand island para- dises paradises of the Pacific, Populous

cities, the latest inventions, the steamers on the rivers, the railroads, with many a thrifty farm,

Were all educations practical and ornamental well display'd out of me, what would it amount to?

Were I as the head teacher, charitable proprietor, wise statesman, what would it amount to?

Were I to you as the boss employing and paying you, would that satisfy you?

(Because you are greasy or pimpled, or were once drunk, or a thief, Or that you are diseas'd, or rheumatic

Congress convenes every Twelfth-month for you, Laws, courts, the forming of States, the charters of cities

A SONG OF THE ROLLING EARTH. 1 A SONG of the rolling earth, and of words according, Were you thinking

that those were the words, those upright lines?

Were you thinking that those were the words, those delicious sounds out of your friends' mouths?

am a word with them—my qualities interpenetrate with theirs—my name is nothing to them, Though it were

If they had not reference to you in especial what were they then?)

the scaffold;) I would sing in my copious song your census returns of the States, The tables of population

that the old accounts, bibles, genealogies, are true, without exception, I assert that all past days were

what they must have been, And that they could no-how have been better than they were, And that to-day

To us, my city, Where our tall-topt marble and iron beauties range on opposite sides, to walk in the

from your Western golden shores, The countries there with their populations, the millions en-masse are

Were the children straying westward so long? so wide the tramping?

Were the precedent dim ages debouching westward from Paradise so long?

Were the centuries steadily footing it that way, all the while unknown, for you, for reasons?

barefoot, Down from the shower'd halo, Up from the mystic play of shadows twining and twisting as if they were

what joys were thine!

TO the States or any one of them, or any city of the States, Resist much, obey little, Once unquestioning

obedience, once fully enslaved, Once fully enslaved, no nation, state, city of this earth, ever after

We dwell a while in every city and town, We pass through Kanada Canada , the North-east, the vast valley

where I was born, Well-begotten, and rais'd by a perfect mother, After roaming many lands, lover of populous

pavements, Dweller in Mannahatta my city, or on southern savannas, Or a soldier camp'd or carrying my

poems that with you is hero- ism heroism upon land and sea, And I will report all heroism from an American

love, indi- cating indicating it in me, I will therefore let flame from me the burning fires that were

, the electric telegraph stretching across the continent, See, through Atlantica's depths pulses American

me, You shall listen to all sides and filter them from your self. 3 I have heard what the talkers were

Trippers and askers surround me, People I meet, the effect upon me of my early life or the ward and city

All I mark as my own you shall offset it with your own, Else it were time lost listening to me.

, The blocks and fallen architecture more than all the living cities of the globe.

Were mankind murderous or jealous upon you, my brother, my sister?

FROM pent-up aching rivers, From that of myself without which I were nothing, From what I am determin'd

And if the body were not the soul, what is the soul?

and visit him to see, he was wise also, He was six feet tall, he was over eighty years old, his sons were

from head to foot, It attracts with fierce undeniable attraction, I am drawn by its breath as if I were

only one man, this the father of those who shall be fathers in their turns, In him the start of populous

A WOMAN waits for me, she contains all, nothing is lacking, Yet all were lacking if sex were lacking,

or if the moisture of the right man were lacking.

original loins, perfectly sweet, I, chanter of Adamic songs, Through the new garden the West, the great cities

We Two, How Long We Were Fool'd. WE TWO, HOW LONG WE WERE FOOL'D.

WE two, how long we were fool'd, Now transmuted, we swiftly escape as Nature escapes, We are Nature,

Once I Pass'd Through a Populous City. ONCE I PASS'D THROUGH A POPULOUS CITY.

ONCE I pass'd through a populous city imprinting my brain for future use with its shows, architecture

, customs, traditions, Yet now of all that city I remember only a woman I casually met there who detain'd

me for love of me, Day by day and night by night we were together—all else has long been forgotten by

America, and along the shores of the great lakes, and all over the prairies, I will make inseparable cities

attraction of friend to friend, Of the well-married husband and wife, of children and parents, Of city

for city and land for land.

the sick, sick dread lest the one he lov'd might secretly be indifferent to him, Whose happiest days were

capitol, still it was not a happy night for me that follow'd, And else when I carous'd, or when my plans were

slow drops, Candid from me falling, drip, bleeding drops, From wounds made to free you whence you were

City of Orgies. CITY OF ORGIES.

CITY of orgies, walks and joys, City whom that I have lived and sung in your midst will one day make

the crossing of the street or on the ship's deck give a kiss in return, We observe that salute of American

All is recall'd as we flit by each other, fluid, affectionate, chaste, matured, You grew up with me, were

incessantly asking, rising in cries from my heart, While yet incessantly asking still I adhere to my city

, Day upon day and year upon year O city, walking your streets, Where you hold me enchain'd a certain

I see a sad procession, And I hear the sound of coming full-key'd bugles, All the channels of the city