The Walt Whitman Archive
Published Works
Books by Whitman
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CITY OF SHIPS.
CITY of ships!
(O the black ships! O the fierce ships!
O the beautiful, sharp bow'd steam-ships and sail-ships!)
City of the world! (for all races are here;
All the lands of the earth make contributions here;)
City of the sea! city of hurried and glittering tides!
City whose gleeful tides continually rush or recede,
whirling in and out, with eddies and foam!
whirling in and out, with eddies and foam!
City of wharves and stores! city of tall façades of mar-
ble and iron!
ble and iron!
Proud and passionate city! mettlesome, mad, extrava-
gant city!
gant city!
Spring up, O city! not for peace alone, but be indeed
yourself, warlike!
yourself, warlike!
Fear not! submit to no models but your own, O city!
Behold me! incarnate me, as I have incarnated you!
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - [begin page 270] - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I have rejected nothing you offer'd me—whom you
adopted, I have adopted;
adopted, I have adopted;
Good or bad, I never question you—I love all—I do not
condemn anything;
condemn anything;
I chant and celebrate all that is yours—yet peace no
more;
more;
In peace I chanted peace, but now the drum of war is
mine;
mine;
War, red war, is my song through your streets, O city!