Walt Whitman - As I Ponder'd in Silence

As I ponder'd in silence,
Returning upon my poems, considering, lingering long,
A Phantom arose before me with distrustful aspect,
Terrible in beauty, age, and power,
The genius of poets of old lands,
As to me directing like flame its eyes,
With finger pointing to many immortal songs,
And menacing voice, What singest thou? it said,
Know'st thou not there is but one theme for ever-enduring bards?
And that is the theme of War, the fortune of battles,
The making of perfect soldiers.

 

Be it so, then I answer'd,
I too haughty Shade also sing war, and a longer and greater one than any,
Waged in my book with varying fortune, with flight, advance
and retreat, victory deferr'd and wavering,
(Yet methinks certain, or as good as certain, at the last,) the
field the world,
For life and death, for the Body and for the eternal Soul,
Lo, I too am come, chanting the chant of battles,
I above all promote brave soldiers.

Submited by

Friday, April 8, 2011 - 23:39

Poesia Consagrada :

No votes yet

Walt Whitman

Walt Whitman's picture
Offline
Title: Membro
Last seen: 13 years 51 weeks ago
Joined: 04/08/2011
Posts:
Points: 849

Add comment

Login to post comments

other contents of Walt Whitman

Topic Title Replies Views Last Postsort icon Language
Poesia Consagrada/Biography Walt Whitman Biography 0 6.125 04/13/2011 - 17:13 English
Poesia Consagrada/Biography Walt Whitman Biografia 0 12.045 04/13/2011 - 17:10 Spanish
Poesia Consagrada/Biography Walt Whitman Biografia 0 10.575 04/13/2011 - 17:05 Portuguese
Poesia Consagrada/General Walt Whitman Poems : Youth, Day, Old Age and Night 0 6.164 04/13/2011 - 17:03 English
Poesia Consagrada/General Walt Whitman Poems : You Felons on Trial in Courts 0 9.378 04/13/2011 - 17:01 English
Poesia Consagrada/General Walt Whitman Poems : Yonnondio 0 6.375 04/13/2011 - 17:00 English
Poesia Consagrada/General Walt Whitman Poems : Yet, Yet Ye Downcast Hours 0 6.269 04/13/2011 - 16:59 English
Poesia Consagrada/General Walt Whitman Poems : Years of the Modern 0 5.925 04/13/2011 - 16:59 English
Poesia Consagrada/General Walt Whitman Poems : Year of Meteors [1859-60] 0 6.529 04/13/2011 - 16:57 English
Poesia Consagrada/General Walt Whitman Poems : The Wound-Dresser 0 7.530 04/13/2011 - 16:56 English
Poesia Consagrada/General Walt Whitman Poems : The World Below the Brine 0 6.471 04/13/2011 - 16:55 English
Poesia Consagrada/General Walt Whitman Poems : A Woman Waits for Me 0 6.732 04/13/2011 - 16:53 English
Poesia Consagrada/General Walt Whitman Poems : With Husky-Haughty Lips, O Sea! 0 8.406 04/13/2011 - 16:52 English
Poesia Consagrada/General Walt Whitman Poems : With Antecedents 0 8.379 04/13/2011 - 16:51 English
Poesia Consagrada/General Walt Whitman Poems : Who Learns My Lesson Complete? 0 7.185 04/13/2011 - 16:50 English
Poesia Consagrada/General Walt Whitman Poems : Whoever You Are Holding Me Now in Hand 0 6.416 04/13/2011 - 16:48 English
Poesia Consagrada/General Walt Whitman Poems : Whispers of Heavenly Death 0 5.427 04/13/2011 - 16:47 English
Poesia Consagrada/General Walt Whitman Poems : When the Full-Grown Poet Came 0 7.620 04/13/2011 - 16:46 English
Poesia Consagrada/General Walt Whitman Poems : When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd 0 6.916 04/13/2011 - 16:45 English
Poesia Consagrada/General Walt Whitman Poems : When I Read the Book 0 5.881 04/13/2011 - 16:43 English
Poesia Consagrada/General Walt Whitman Poems : When I Peruse the Conquer'd Fame 0 8.556 04/13/2011 - 16:42 English
Poesia Consagrada/General Walt Whitman Poems : When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer 0 12.765 04/13/2011 - 16:41 English
Poesia Consagrada/General Walt Whitman Poems : When I Heard at the Close of the Day 0 7.150 04/13/2011 - 16:40 English
Poesia Consagrada/General Walt Whitman Poems : What Think You I Take My Pen in Hand? 0 6.363 04/13/2011 - 16:38 English
Poesia Consagrada/General Walt Whitman Poems : What Ship Puzzled at Sea 0 10.698 04/13/2011 - 16:37 English