The Walt Whitman Archive
Published Works
Books by Whitman
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - [begin page 359] - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Thick-Sprinkled Bunting.
THICK-SPRINKLED bunting! Flag of stars!
Long yet your road, fateful flag!—long yet your road,
and lined with bloody death!
and lined with bloody death!
For the prize I see at issue, at last is the world!
All its ships and shores I see, interwoven with your
threads, greedy banner!
threads, greedy banner!
—Dream'd again the flags of kings, highest borne, to
flaunt unrival'd?
flaunt unrival'd?
O hasten, flag of man! O with sure and steady step,
passing highest flags of kings,
passing highest flags of kings,
Walk supreme to the heavens, mighty symbol—run up
above them all,
above them all,
Flag of stars! thick-sprinkled bunting!