Songs of Parting（二）

    YEARS of the modern！ years of the unperform'd！

    Your horizon rises， I see it parting away for more august

    dramas，

    I see not America only， not only Liberty's nation but other

    nations preparing，

    I see tremendous entrances and exits， new combinations， the

    solidarity¹ of races，

    I see that force advancing with irresistible² power on the

    world's stage，

    （Have the old forces， the old wars， played their parts？ are the

    acts suitable to them closed？）

    I see Freedom， completely arm'd and victorious³ and very

    haughty⁴， with Law on one side and Peace on the other，

    A stupendous trio all issuing forth⁵ against the idea of caste；

    What historic denouements⁶ are these we so rapidly approach？

    I see men marching and countermarching by swift millions，

    I see the frontiers and boundaries of the old aristocracies

    broken，

    I see the landmarks⁷ of European kings removed，

    I see this day the People beginning their landmarks， （all others

    give way；）

    Never were such sharp questions ask'd as this day，

    Never was average man， his soul， more energetic， more like a

    God，

    Lo， how he urges and urges， leaving the masses no rest！

    His daring foot is on land and sea everywhere， he colonizes⁸

    the Pacific， the archipelagoes，

    With the steamship⁹， the electric telegraph， the newspaper，

    the wholesale¹⁰ engines of war，

    With these and the world-spreading factories he interlinks all

    geography， all lands；

    What whispers are these O lands， running ahead of you，

    passing under the seas？

    Are all nations communing？ is there going to be but one

    heart to the globe？

    Is humanity forming en-masse？ for lo， tyrants¹¹ tremble，

    crowns grow dim，

    The earth， restive¹²， confronts a new era， perhaps a general

    divine war，

    No one knows what will happen next， such portents¹³ fill the

    days and nights；

    Years prophetical！ the space ahead as I walk， as I vainly try

    to pierce it， is full of phantoms¹⁴，

    Unborn deeds， things soon to be， project their shapes around

    me，

    This incredible rush and heat， this strange ecstatic fever of

    dreams O years！

    Your dreams O years， how they penetrate¹⁵ through me！ （I

    know not whether I sleep or wake；）

    The perform'd America and Europe grow dim， retiring in

    shadow behind me，

    The unperform'd， more gigantic than ever， advance， advance

    upon me.