Author: Walt Whitman
Who are you dusky woman, so ancient hardly human, With your woolly-white and turban'd head, and bare bony feet? Why rising by the roadside here, do you the colors greet? (Tis while our army lines Carolina's sands and pines, Forth from thy hovel door thou Ethiopia com'st to me, As under doughty Sherman I march toward the sea.) Me master years a hundred since from my parents sunder'd, A little child they caught me as the savage beast is caught, Then hither me across the sea the cruel slaver brought. No further does she say, but lingering all the day, Her high-borne turban'd head she wags, and rolls her darkling eye, And curtseys to the regiments, the guidons moving by. What is it fateful woman—so blear, hardly human? Why wag your head with turban bound—yellow, red and green? Are the things so strange and marvelous you see or have seen?
Type of Poem: Narrative Poem
Date Written: 1865-01-01
Date Published: 1865-01-01
Language: English
Keywords: Ethiopia, Civil War, Slavery, Freedom, Soldiers
Source: Leaves of Grass
Publisher: Walt Whitman
Rights/Permissions: Public Domain
Comments/Notes: A poignant poem reflecting on the presence of an elderly African American woman during the American Civil War, saluting the passing soldiers, with a deep sense of history and suffering.
Narrative poetry is a form of poetry that tells a story, often making use of the voices of a narrator and characters as well. Unlike lyric poetry, which focuses on emotions and thoughts, narrative poetry is dedicated to storytelling, weaving tales that captivate readers through plot and character development.
Narrative poems are unique in their ability to combine the depth of storytelling with the expressive qualities of poetry. Here are some defining characteristics:
From ancient epics like "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey" to more modern narrative poems, this form continues to engage readers by blending the art of storytelling with the beauty and rhythm of poetry.