The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-05-25


for his waiting mantle Certain magazine editors
and critics are fretfully scanning the literary hori
in the hope of discovering and assisting breed
of bards after Wars own heart.
Surely the time for the appearance of these poets
WHITMAN prayed for-Bards towering like hills
is now when the centenary of the good gray
poet blends with the closing period of the world
war What poet of WHTrMAN's school sang
marches for our soldiers going forth or returningi
Where are the bards he prophesiedi There are
none The great poet who invoked them has had
to make his songs do double service-for the civil
war and for the world war. His spirit it was that
strobe ahead of our armies. His soul ruled the
peace councils at Versailles.
'Suppose that when New York city had re-
sponded to the call to the colors poet had arisen
with this song:
"'O superb o Manhattan, my own, my peerless
o strongest you in the hour of danger, in crisis!
o truer than STEEL
How you sprang! How you threw off the costumes
of peace with Indifferent hand;
How your soft opera music changed, and the drum
and fife were heard in their stead;
How you led to the war (that shall serve for our
prelude, songs of soldiers),
How Manhattan drum-taps led.
The blood of the city up-arm d arm'di the cry
everywhere;
The flags flung out from the steeples Of churches,
and from the public buildings and stores;
The fearful parting-the mother kisses her SON
the son kisses his mother
(Loath is the mother to part-yet not word does
she speak to detain him);
The tumultuous escort-the ranks of policemen
preceding clearing the way;
The unpent enthusiasm-the wild cheers Of the
crowd for their favorites;
The women volunteering for nurses-the work be-
gun for, in earnest mere parade now;
War; an arm d race advancing the welcome for
battle-no turning away;
War; be it weeks months, or years-an arm d race
is advancing to welcome it!
Suppose, too, that the nation itself, early in
1918, had heard this chant:
"sBeatl Beat! drums! Blow bugles blow!
Through the windows-through doors-burst like
ruthless force,
Into the solemn church, and scatter the congrega-
ton; s.-..
Into the school where the scholar is studying;
Leave not the bridegroom quiet-no happiness must
he have now with his bride;
Nor the peaceful farmer any peace, ploughing his
field or gathering his grain;
So fierce you whrr and pound, you drums-so
shrill you bugles blow!
"'Beat! Beat drums Blow bugles blow!
Make no parley-stop for no expostulation;
Mind not the timid-mind not the weeper or
prayer;
Mind not the old man beseeching the young man;
Let not the child S voice be heard the mothers
entreaties;
Make even the trestles to shake the dead where
they lie awaiting the hearses,
So strong you thump, o terrible drums-so loud
you bugles blow!'
Both critics and public would hail such
singer; would say that the first poem was an exact
description of Fifth avenue in the year 1913 and
that the second poem masterfully pictured the re-
lentless call of war to the of the country. As
matter of fact these lines were written by WHIT
MAN during the civil war and were first published
in 1865 Perhaps WALT handled the war theme so
well that those to whom he cried to carry on
despaired.
1.-The remarkable fitness of WHITMAN's verse to
these times does not stop with descriptions of war