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For I think I have reason to be the proudest son alive—for I am the son of the brawny and tall-topt city

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

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

was not a happy night for me that fol- low follow'd ; And else, when I carous'd, or when my plans were

herself; Of Equality—As if it harm'd me, giving others the same chances and rights as myself—As if it were

OF what I write from myself—As if that were not the resumé; Of Histories—As if such, however complete

, were not less complete than my poems; As if the shreds, the records of nations, could possibly be as

lasting as my poems; As if here were not the amount of all nations, and of all the lives of heroes.

ages, that men and women like us grew up and travel'd their course, and pass'd on; What vast-built cities—what

and phrenology; What of liberty and slavery among them—what they thought of death and the soul; Who were

O I know that those men and women were not for nothing, any more than we are for nothing; I know that

Do their lives, cities, arts, rest only with us? Did they achieve nothing for good, for themselves?

earth, and of his or her body, understands by subtle analogies all other theories, The theory of a city

O the streets of cities! The flitting faces—the expressions, eyes, feet, cos- tumes costumes !

Let those that were prisoners take the keys! (Say! why might they not just as well be transposed?)

Let the Asiatic, the African, the European, the Ameri- can American , and the Australian, go armed against

Let there be wealthy and immense cities—but through any of them, not a single poet, savior, knower, lover

The City Dead-House THE CITY DEAD-HOUSE.

BY the City Dead-House, by the gate, As idly sauntering, wending my way from the clangor, I curious pause—for

NOW list to my morning's romanza; To the cities and farms I sing, as they spread in the sunshine before

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

things in their attitudes; He puts to-day out of himself, with plasticity and love; He places his own city

that men and women were flexible, real, alive! that every- thing everything was alive!

To think of all these wonders of city and country, and others taking great interest in them—and we taking

Do you enjoy yourself in the city? or engaged in business?

7 It is not to diffuse you that you were born of your mother and father—it is to identify you, It is

The threads that were spun are gathered, the weft crosses the warp, the pattern is systematic.

all—None refuse, all attend; Armies, ships, antiquities, the dead, libraries, paintings, machines, cities

my clothes were stolen while I was abed, Now I am thrust forth, where shall I run?

west, as they lie unclothed, The Asiatic and African are hand in hand—the Eu- ropean European and American

sight of products —they shall enjoy the sight of the beef, lumber, bread-stuffs, of Chicago, the great city

FIRST, O songs, for a prelude, Lightly strike on the stretch'd tympanum, pride and joy in my city, How

costumes of peace with indifferent hand; How your soft opera-music changed, and the drum and fife were

Forty years had I in my city seen soldiers parading; Forty years as a pageant—till unawares, the Lady

The blood of the city up—arm'd! arm'd!

Old matron of the city! this proud, friendly, turbulent city!

sea-bird, and look down as from a height; I do not deny the precious results of peace—I see pop- ulous populous

cities, with wealth incalculable; I see numberless farms—I see the farmers working in their fields or

spacious and haughty States, (nor any five, nor ten;) Nor market nor depot are we, nor money-bank in the city

sonorous voice ringing across the continent; Your masculine voice, O year, as rising amid the great cities

Green the midsummer verdure, and fresh blows the dal- lying dallying breeze, O'er proud and peaceful cities

not with terror; But suddenly, pouring about me here, on every side, And below there where the boys were

Twenty thousand were brought against us, A veteran force, furnish'd with good artillery.

close together, very compact, their flag flying in the middle; But O from the hills how the cannon were

day; But the night of that, mist lifting, rain ceasing, Silent as a ghost, while they thought they were

WHEN I heard the learn'd astronomer; When the proofs, the figures, were ranged in columns before me;

the earth and the sea never gave us; Not through the mighty woods we go, but through the mightier cities

What, to pavements and homesteads here—what were those storms of the mountains and sea?

And do you rise higher than ever yet, O days, O cities! Crash heavier, heavier yet, O storms!

prepared in the mountains, absorbs your im- mortal immortal strong nutriment; Long had I walk'd my cities

ground before me, Continually preceding my steps, turning upon me oft, ironically hissing low; —The cities

Over the traffic of cities—over the rumble of wheels in the streets: Are beds prepared for sleepers at

Smell you the buckwheat, where the bees were lately buzzing?)

Ah, now the single figure to me, Amid all teeming and wealthy Ohio, with all its cities and farms, Sickly

City of Ships CITY OF SHIPS. CITY of ships! (O the black ships! O the fierce ships!

City of the world!

city of hurried and glittering tides!

City of wharves and stores! city of tall façades of mar- ble marble and iron!

Proud and passionate city! mettlesome, mad, extrava- gant extravagant city! Spring up, O city!

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

Were you looking to be held together by the lawyers? Or by an agreement on a paper? or by arms?

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

European kings removed; I see this day the People beginning their landmarks, (all others give way;) Never were

what life, what joy and pride, With all the perils, were yours!)

A Broadway Pageant (Reception Japanese Embassy, June 16, 1860) A BROADWAY PAGEANT.

(RECEPTION JAPANESE EMBASSY, JUNE 16, 1860.)

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?

greatest city in the whole world. 5 The place where the 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 beloved

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!

Were those your vast and solid?

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

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

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

These, and all else, were to me the same as they are to you; I project myself a moment to tell you—also

I loved well those cities; I loved well the stately and rapid river; The men and women I saw were all

I had done seem'd to me blank and sus- picious suspicious ; My great thoughts, as I supposed them, were

as much of you —I laid in my stores in advance; I consider'd long and seriously of you before you were

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

I saw the rich ladies in full dress at the soiree, I heard what the singers were singing so long, Heard

HAVE you learned lessons only of those who admired you, and were tender with you, and stood aside for

They were purified by death—they were taught and exalted.

Were you thinking that those were the words— those upright lines? those curves, angles, dots?

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

them—my qualities inter- penetrate interpenetrate with theirs—my name is nothing to them; Though it were

echo the tones of Souls, and the phrases of Souls; If they did not echo the phrases of Souls, what were

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

noises of the night-owl and the wild-cat, and the whirr of the rattlesnake; The mocking-bird, the American

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 afterward

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; I think I could stop here myself, and do miracles

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

to which you were des- tined destined —you hardly settle yourself to satisfaction, before you are call'd

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

American masses!

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?

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

American Feuillage AMERICAN FEUILLAGE. AMERICA always! Always our own feuillage!

Always the prairies, pastures, forests, vast cities, travelers, Kanada, the snows; Always these compact

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

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

day, driving the herd of cows, and shouting to them as they loiter to browse by the road-side; The city

I WAS asking for something specific and perfect for my city, Whereupon, lo!

there is in a name, a word, liquid, sane, unruly, musical, self-sufficient; I see that the word of my city

river, passing along, up or down, with the flood-tide or-ebb tide or ebb-tide ; The mechanics of the city

The beautiful city, the city of hurried and sparkling waters! the city of spires and masts!

The city nested in bays! my city! The city of such women, I am mad to be with them!

lines—a desperate emergency; I saw a hundred and more step forth from the ranks— but two or three were

wast not gifted to sing, thou would'st surely die.) 5 Over the breast of the spring, the land, amid cities

and night, with the great cloud darkening the land, With the pomp of the inloop'd flags, with the cities

me from sleep;) As the night advanced, and I saw on the rim of the west, ere you went, how full you were

and there; With ranging hills on the banks, with many a line against the sky, and shadows; And the city

the rising and sinking waves—over the myriad fields, and the prairies wide; Over the dense-pack'd cities

earth—touching, including God— including Saviour and Satan; Ethereal, pervading all, (for without me, what were

what were God?)

…of the questions of these recurring; Of the endless trains of the faithless—of cities fill'd with the

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