Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-12-17
New England.
(By John G. Whittier).

| Dy John q. Whittier.
| [This poem was originally published in
! the New England Review, October Is,
| 1850, while its author was editing that pa
per. Two other poems by Whittier appear
i'll the same number, both with his sig
| nature. while this was anonymous. The
| probable reason for this is the self-asser-
ton Of the last stanza, and perhaps the
| rather warike tone of the first When he
published Mol Pitcher two years later.
this poem formed part of it, with the
! omission of the concluding lines. A row
! of asters1s took their place. As he never
allowed Mol Pitcher" to be included in
any collection of his works, these lines
will not he familiar to most of our read
ers, The last stanza was copied in his
Diography.-S. r. Pickard1
Land Of the forest and the rock
OF dark blue lake. and mighty river
81 mountains reared aloft to mock
The storms career-the lightning S
siiocll,- n
My own green land forever!
Land of the beautiful and brave
The frceman'S hOme-the martyrs grave
The nursery of giant men.
" hose deeds have linked with every glen,
And every hill and every stream,
The romance of some warrior dream.-
oh, never may a son of thine.
Wherecr his wandering steps incline,
Forget the sky that bent above
His childhood like q dream of love
The steam beneath the green hill flowing
The broadarmed trees above it growing
The clear breeze through the foliage blow
ing
Or. hear unmoved the taunt of scorn
Breathrd DER the brave New England
born IN
Or mark the strangers jaguar hand
Disturb the ashes Of thy dead
hIi tyDI, 10y nf "a
Whose soil with noble blood is red,
And sanctiied iii every part,
Nor feel resentment, like a brand.
UnsheathinG from his fiery heart.
Oh--crncner hills may catch the sun
beneath the glorious heaven of France;
And streams rejoicing as the run
Like life beneath the day-beams glance,
May wander where the orange-boush
With golden fruit is bending low
And there may bend brighter sky
Ger green and classic Italy
And pilared fame and ancient grave
Bear record of another time,
Aud over shaft and architravc
The green luxuriant ivy climb
And far towards the rising sun
The palm may shake its leaves on high,
Where flowers are opening. one by one,
Like stars uron the twilight sky,
And breezeS soft as signs OF love
Above the rich mimosa stray.
And through the Brahmin's sacred grove
y thousand bright-hued pinions play!--
Yet, unto thee. New England, still
Thy wandering sons shall stretch their
arms.
And thy rude chart of rock and hill
Seem 1earer than the land of palms.
Thy MASSEY oak and mountain pine
More welcome than the banyan's shade,
And every free. blue stream of thine
Seem richer than the golden bed
OF Oriental waves, which glow
And sparkle with the wealth below.
Land of my fathers:-if my narne
Now humble. and unwed to fame.
Hereafter burn upon the lip,
AS one of those which may not dlc.
Linked in eternal fellowship
With visions pure and strong and high
II the wild dreams which quicken now
The throbbing pulse of heart and brow,
Hereafter take q real form.
Like specters changed to beings warm;
And over temples worn and gray
The star-likc crown of glory shine
Thine be the bards undying lay.
The murmur of his praise be thlrc!
The Independent.