Author: Ralph Waldo Emerson

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    I

    Low and mournful be the strain,
    Haughty thought be far from me;
    Tones of penitence and pain,
    Meanings of the tropic sea;
    Low and tender in the cell
    Where a captive sits in chains.
    Crooning ditties treasured well
    From his Afric's torrid plains.
    Sole estate his sire bequeathed,--
    Hapless sire to hapless son,--
    Was the wailing song he breathed,
    And his chain when life was done.

    What his fault, or what his crime?
    Or what ill planet crossed his prime?
    Heart too soft and will too weak
    To front the fate that crouches near,--
    Dove beneath the vulture's beak;--
    Will song dissuade the thirsty spear?
    Dragged from his mother's arms and breast,
    Displaced, disfurnished here,
    His wistful toil to do his best
    Chilled by a ribald jeer.
    Great men in the Senate sate,
    Sage and hero, side by side,
    Building for their sons the State,
    Which they shall rule with pride.
    They forbore to break the chain
    Which bound the dusky tribe,
    Checked by the owners' fierce disdain,
    Lured by 'Union' as the bribe.
    Destiny sat by, and said,
    'Pang for pang your seed shall pay,
    Hide in false peace your coward head,
    I bring round the harvest day.'

    II

    Freedom all winged expands,
    Nor perches in a narrow place;
    Her broad van seeks unplanted lands;
    She loves a poor and virtuous race.
    Clinging to a colder zone
    Whose dark sky sheds the snowflake down,
    The snowflake is her banner's star,
    Her stripes the boreal streamers are.
    Long she loved the Northman well;
    Now the iron age is done,
    She will not refuse to dwell
    With the offspring of the Sun;
    Foundling of the desert far,
    Where palms plume, siroccos blaze,
    He roves unhurt the burning ways
    In climates of the summer star.
    He has avenues to God
    Hid from men of Northern brain,
    Far beholding, without cloud,
    What these with slowest steps attain.
    If once the generous chief arrive
    To lead him willing to be led,
    For freedom he will strike and strive,
    And drain his heart till he be dead.

    III

    In an age of fops and toys,
    Wanting wisdom, void of right,
    Who shall nerve heroic boys
    To hazard all in Freedom's fight,--
    Break sharply off their jolly games,
    Forsake their comrades gay
    And quit proud homes and youthful dames
    For famine, toil and fray?
    Yet on the nimble air benign
    Speed nimbler messages,
    That waft the breath of grace divine
    To hearts in sloth and ease.
    So nigh is grandeur to our dust,
    So near is God to man,
    When Duty whispers low, Thou must,
    The youth replies, I can.

    IV

    O, well for the fortunate soul
    Which Music's wings infold,
    Stealing away the memory
    Of sorrows new and old!
    Yet happier he whose inward sight,
    Stayed on his subtile thought,
    Shuts his sense on toys of time,
    To vacant bosoms brought.
    But best befriended of the God
    He who, in evil times,
    Warned by an inward voice,
    Heeds not the darkness and the dread,
    Biding by his rule and choice,
    Feeling only the fiery thread
    Leading over heroic ground,
    Walled with mortal terror round,
    To the aim which him allures,
    And the sweet heaven his deed secures.
    Peril around, all else appalling,
    Cannon in front and leaden rain
    Him duty through the clarion calling
    To the van called not in vain.

    Stainless soldier on the walls,
    Knowing this,--and knows no more,--
    Whoever fights, whoever falls,
    Justice conquers evermore,
    Justice after as before,--
    And he who battles on her side,
    God, though he were ten times slain,
    Crowns him victor glorified,
    Victor over death and pain.

    V

    Blooms the laurel which belongs
    To the valiant chief who fights;
    I see the wreath, I hear the songs
    Lauding the Eternal Rights,
    Victors over daily wrongs:
    Awful victors, they misguide
    Whom they will destroy,
    And their coming triumph hide
    In our downfall, or our joy:
    They reach no term, they never sleep,
    In equal strength through space abide;
    Though, feigning dwarfs, they crouch and creep,
    The strong they slay, the swift outstride:
    Fate's grass grows rank in valley clods,
    And rankly on the castled steep,--
    Speak it firmly, these are gods,
    All are ghosts beside.

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Type of Poem: Reflective Poem

Date Written:

Date Published:

Language: English

Keywords: Public Domain

Source: Public Domain Collection

Publisher:

Rights/Permissions: Public Domain

Comments/Notes: This poem is a profound exploration of themes such as freedom, oppression, courage, and the power of destiny. The poet effectively employs an evocative and mournful tone throughout the poem, interspersed with moments of resolution and hopeful optimism. The poem is structured into five sections, each presenting a different perspective on the struggle for freedom and the eventual triumph of justice.

The initial two sections present a vivid depiction of oppression and the yearning for freedom. The poet uses powerful imagery to portray the plight of a captive, his inherited sorrow, and his longing for his homeland. The verse "What his fault, or what his crime? Or what ill planet crossed his prime?" poignantly questions the justification of his captivity. The poet then contrasts the captive's plight with the complacency of 'great men in the Senate,' who fail to break the chains of oppression.

The third and fourth sections transition towards hope, valor, and the pursuit of freedom. Here, the poet calls for heroism among youth to fight for freedom, emphasizing the divine inspiration that drives them. The verses "So nigh is grandeur to our dust, So near is God to man, When Duty whispers low, Thou must, The youth replies, I can," highlights the transformative power of duty and courage.

Finally, the fifth section concludes with a triumphant tone, celebrating the eternal victory of justice. The poet uses the laurel, a symbol of honor and victory, to signify the rewards of the valiant struggle for freedom. The poem ends with the affirmation of the supremacy of these 'gods' of justice and freedom over all else.

The poet's use of vivid imagery, rhetorical questions, and metaphors enhance the emotional depth of the poem. The poem showcases a powerful journey from despair to hope, from captivity to freedom, and from oppression to justice, making it a poignant commentary on the human condition and the indefatigable spirit of freedom.