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Heard him laugh among the spears。
He could deduce from age to age
The web of island parentage；
Best lay the rhyme； best lead the dance；
For any festal circumstance：
And fitly fashion oar and boat；
A palace or an armour coat。
None more availed than he to raise
The strong； suffumigating blaze；
Or knot the wizard leaf： none more；
Upon the untrodden windward shore
Of the isle； beside the beating main；
To cure the sickly and constrain；
With muttered words and waving rods；
The gibbering and the whistling gods。
But he； though thus with hand and head
He ruled； commanded； charmed； and led；
And thus in virtue and in might
Towered to contemporary sight …
Still in fraternal faith and love；
Remained below to reach above；
Gave and obeyed the apt command；
Pilot and vassal of the land。
IV
My Tembinok' from men like these
Inherited his palaces；
His right to rule； his powers of mind；
His cocoa…islands sea…enshrined。
Stern bearer of the sword and whip；
A master passed in mastership；
He learned； without the spur of need；
To write； to cipher； and to read；
From all that touch on his prone shore
Augments his treasury of lore；
Eager in age as erst in youth
To catch an art； to learn a truth；
To paint on the internal page
A clearer picture of the age。
His age； you say？ But ah； not so！
In his lone isle of long ago；
A royal Lady of Shalott；
Sea…sundered； he beholds it not；
He only hears it far away。
The stress of equatorial day
He suffers； he records the while
The vapid annals of the isle；
Slaves bring him praise of his renown；
Or cackle of the palm…tree town；
The rarer ship and the rare boat
He marks； and only hears remote；
Where thrones and fortunes rise and reel；
The thunder of the turning wheel。
V
For the unexpected tears he shed
At my departing； may his lion head
Not whiten； his revolving years
No fresh occasion minister of tears；
At book or cards； at work or sport；
Him may the breeze across the palace court
For ever fan； and swelling near
For ever the loud song divert his ear。
Schooner 'Equator；' at Sea。
XXXVIII … THE WOODMAN
IN all the grove； nor stream nor bird
Nor aught beside my blows was heard；
And the woods wore their noonday dress …
The glory of their silentness。
From the island summit to the seas；
Trees mounted； and trees drooped； and trees
Groped upward in the gaps。 The green
Inarboured talus and ravine
By fathoms。 By the multitude
The rugged columns of the wood
And bunches of the branches stood；
Thick as a mob； deep as a sea；
And silent as eternity。
With lowered axe； with backward head；
Late from this scene my labourer fled；
And with a ravelled tale to tell；
Returned。 Some denizen of hell；
Dead man or disinvested god；
Had close behind him peered and trod；
And triumphed when he turned to flee。
How different fell the lines with me！
Whose eye explored the dim arcade
Impatient of the uncoming shade …
Shy elf； or dryad pale and cold；
Or mystic lingerer from of old：
Vainly。 The fair and stately things；
Impassive as departed kings；
All still in the wood's stillness stood；
And dumb。 The rooted multitude
Nodded and brooded； bloomed and dreamed；
Unmeaning； undivined。 It seemed
No other art； no hope； they knew；
Than clutch the earth and seek the blue。
'Mid vegetable king and priest
And stripling； I （the only beast）
Was at the beast's work； killing； hewed
The stubborn roots across； bestrewed
The glebe with the dislustred leaves；
And bade the saplings fall in sheaves；
Bursting across the tangled math
A ruin that I called a path；
A Golgotha that； later on；
When rains had watered； and suns shone；
And seeds enriched the place； should bear
And be called garden。 Here and there；
I spied and plucked by the green hair
A foe more resolute to live；
The toothed and killing sensitive。
He； semi…conscious； fled the attack；
He shrank and tucked his branches back；
And straining by his anchor…strand；
Captured and scratched the rooting hand。
I saw him crouch； I felt him bite；
And straight my eyes were touched with sight。
I saw the wood for what it was：
The lost and the victorious cause；
The deadly battle pitched in line；
Saw silent weapons cross and shine：
Silent defeat； silent assault；
A battle and a burial vault。
Thick round me in the teeming mud
Brier and fern strove to the blood：
The hooked liana in his gin
Noosed his reluctant neighbours in：
There the green murderer throve and spread；
Upon his smothering victims fed；
And wantoned on his climbing coil。
Contending roots fought for the soil
Like frightened demons： with despair
Competing branches pushed for air。
Green conquerors from overhead
Bestrode the bodies of their dead：
The Caesars of the sylvan field；
Unused to fail； foredoomed to yield：
For in the groins of branches； lo！
The cancers of the orchid grow。
Silent as in the listed ring
Two chartered wrestlers strain and cling；
Dumb as by yellow Hooghly's side
The suffocating captives died；
So hushed the woodland warfare goes
Unceasing； and the silent foes
Grapple and smother； strain and clasp
Without a cry； without a gasp。
Here also sound thy fans； O God；
Here too thy banners move abroad：
Forest and city； sea and shore；
And the whole earth； thy threshing…floor！
The drums of war； the drums of peace；
Roll through our cities without cease；
And all the iron halls of life
Ring with the unremitting strife。
The common lot we scarce perceive。
Crowds perish； we nor mark nor grieve：
The bugle calls … we mourn a few！
What corporal's guard at Waterloo？
What scanty hundreds more or less
In the man…devouring Wilderness？
What handful bled on Delhi ridge？
… See； rather； London； on thy bridge
The pale battalions trample by；
Resolved to slay； resigned to die。
Count； rather； all the maimed and dead
In the unbrotherly war of bread。
See； rather； under sultrier skies
What vegetable Londons rise；
And teem； and suffer without sound：
Or in your tranquil garden ground；
Contented； in the falling gloom；
Saunter and see the roses bloom。
That these might live； what thousands died！
All day the cruel hoe was plied；
The ambulance barrow rolled all day；
Your wife； the tender； kind； and gay；
Donned her long gauntlets； caught the spud；
And bathed in vegetable blood；
And the long massacre now at end；
See！ where the lazy coils ascend；
See； where the bonfire sputters red
At even； for the innocent dead。
Why prate of peace？ when； warriors all；
We clank in harness into hall；
And ever bare upon the board
Lies the necessary sword。
In the green field or quiet street；
Besieged we sleep； beleaguered eat；
Labour by day and wake o' nights；
In war with rival appetites。
The rose on roses feeds； the lark
On larks。 The sedentary clerk
All morning with a diligent pen
Murders the babes