Poems in Wartime: Part 4 From Volume III of The Works of John Greenleaf WhittierWhittier, John Greenleaf
History
Poems in Wartime: Part 4 From Volume III of The Works of John Greenleaf Whittier
Whittier, John Greenleaf
United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Poetry
This eBook was produced by David Widger
ANTI-SLAVERY POEMS
SONGS OF LABOR AND REFORM
BY
JOHN GREENLEAF WHITTIER
CONTENTS:
IN WAR TIME.
TO SAMUEL E. SEWALL AND HARRIET W. SEWALL
THY WILL BE DONE
A WORD FOR THE HOUR
"EIN FESTE BURG IST UNSER GOTT"
TO JOHN C. FREMONT
THE WATCHERS
TO ENGLISHMEN
MITHRIDATES AT CHIOS
AT PORT ROYAL
ASTRAEA AT THE CAPITOL
THE BATTLE AUTUMN OF 1862
OF ST. HELENA'S ISLAND, S. C.
THE PROCLAMATION
ANNIVERSARY POEM
BARBARA FRIETCHIE
HAT THE BIRDS SAID
THE MANTLE OF ST. JOHN DE MATRA
LADS DEO!
HYMN FOR THE CELEBRATION OF EMANCIPATION
AT NEWBURYPORT
IN WAR TIME.
TO SAMUEL E. SEWALL AND HARRIET W. SEWAll, OF MELROSE.
These lines to my old friends stood as dedication in the volume which
contained a collection of pieces under the general title of In War Time.
The group belonging distinctly under that title I have retained here;
the other pieces in the volume are distributed among the appropriate
divisions.
OLOR ISCANUS queries: "Why should we
Vex at the land's ridiculous miserie?"
So on his Usk banks, in the blood-red dawn
Of England's civil strife, did careless Vaughan
Bemock his times. O friends of many years!
Though faith and trust are stronger than our fears,
And the signs promise peace with liberty,
Not thus we trifle with our country's tears
And sweat of agony. The future's gain
Is certain as God's truth; but, meanwhile, pain
Is bitter and tears are salt: our voices take
A sober tone; our very household songs
Are heavy with a nation's griefs and wrongs;
And innocent mirth is chastened for the sake
Of the brave hearts that nevermore shall beat,
The eyes that smile no more, the unreturning
feet!
1863
THY WILL BE DONE.
WE see not, know not; all our way
Is night,--with Thee alone is day
From out the torrent's troubled drift,
Above the storm our prayers we lift,
Thy will be done!
The flesh may fail, the heart may faint,
But who are we to make complaint,
Or dare to plead, in times like these,
The weakness of our love of ease?
Thy will be done!
We take with solemn thankfulness
Our burden up, nor ask it less,
And count it joy that even we
May suffer, serve, or wait for Thee,
Whose will be done!
Though dim as yet in tint and line,
We trace Thy picture's wise design,
And thank Thee that our age supplies
Its dark relief of sacrifice.
Thy will be done!
And if, in our unworthiness,
Thy sacrificial wine we press;
If from Thy ordeal's heated bars
Our feet are seamed with crimson scars,
Thy will be done!
If, for the age to come, this hour
Of trial hath vicarious power,
And, blest by Thee, our present pain,
Be Liberty's eternal gain,
Thy will be done!
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