Yankee Doodle

By Vachel Lindsay

Ballad
This poem is intended as a description of a sort of Blashfield mural painting on the sky.    To be sung to the tune of Yankee Doodle, yet in a slower, more orotund fashion.    It is presumably an exercise for an entertainment on the evening of Washington's Birthday.          Dawn this morning burned all red          Watching them in wonder.          There I saw our spangled flag          Divide the clouds asunder.          Then there followed Washington.          Ah, he rode from glory,          Cold and mighty as his name          And stern as Freedom's story.          Unsubdued by burning dawn          Led his continentals.          Vast they were, and strange to see          In gray old regimentals: -          Marching still with bleeding feet,          Bleeding feet and jesting -          Marching from the judgment throne          With energy unresting.          How their merry quickstep played -          Silver, sharp, sonorous,          Piercing through with prophecy          The demons' rumbling chorus -          Behold the ancient powers of sin          And slavery before them! -          Sworn to stop the glorious dawn,          The pit-black clouds hung o'er them.          Plagues that rose to blast the day          Fiend and tiger faces,          Monsters plotting bloodshed for          The patient toiling races.          Round the dawn their cannon raged,          Hurling bolts of thunder,          Yet before our spangled flag          Their host was cut asunder.          Like a mist they fled away....          Ended wrath and roaring.          Still our restless soldier-host          From East to West went pouring.          High beside the sun of noon          They bore our banner splendid.          All its days of stain and shame          And heaviness were ended.          Men were swelling now the throng          From great and lowly station -          Valiant citizens to-day          Of every tribe and nation.          Not till night their rear-guard came,          Down the west went marching,          And left behind the sunset-rays          In beauty overarching.          War-god banners lead us still,          Rob, enslave and harry          Let us rather choose to-day          The flag the angels carry -          Flag we love, but brighter far -          Soul of it made splendid:          Let its days of stain and shame          And heaviness be ended.          Let its fifes fill all the sky,          Redeemed souls marching after,          Hills and mountains shake with song,          While seas roll on in laughter.

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Poem Details

Language: English
Keywords: Public Domain
Source: Public Domain Collection
Rights/Permissions: Public Domain
Analysis & Notes:
This poem is a rousing tribute to the American flag, evoked by the image of a Blashfield mural painting on the sky, set to the tune of Yankee Doodle but with a slower, more stately pace. The poem's structure, with its irregular line lengths and stanza pattern, creates a sense of dynamic movement, mirroring the flag's merry quickstep and the restless soldier-host that follows it. The voice is that of a proud patriot, with a strong emphasis on the flag's symbolism and the ideals it represents. Imagery is vivid and varied, from the dawn this morning burned all red to the fiend and tiger faces of the enemies of freedom. A structural turn occurs in the final stanza, where the tone shifts from a celebration of the flag's power to a more introspective reflection on its significance. The language becomes more lyrical, with the fifes fill all the sky and hills and mountains shake with song, creating a sense of joy and redemption. This tonal shift underscores the poem's message, which is that the flag is not just a symbol of power, but of a higher ideal that can inspire and redeem humanity. The observation that the poem's days of stain and shame are ended suggests that the flag's significance extends beyond the present moment, speaking to a deeper longing for a more perfect union.

Understanding Ballads

A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music, that has been a cornerstone of storytelling across various cultures. Traditionally passed down orally, ballads are known for their rhythmic structure and often tell tales of love, adventure, and heroism.

Ballads are characterized by their strong rhythm and repetition, making them both memorable and engaging. Here are some defining features:

  • Narrative Structure: Ballads typically tell a story, often a dramatic or emotional tale that unfolds in a straightforward, chronological order.
  • Quatrain Stanzas: Most ballads are composed of quatrains (four-line stanzas) with a rhyme scheme of ABAB or ABCB, which adds to the musicality of the verse.
  • Repetition: Refrains or repeated lines are common in ballads, helping to emphasize key themes or emotions and making the ballad easier to remember.
  • Oral Tradition: Many ballads originated from oral traditions, which means they were passed down through generations by word of mouth before being written down.

From medieval minstrels to contemporary songwriters, ballads have continued to evolve, remaining a beloved form of expression that captures the human experience in a way that is both poetic and accessible.