DEMOCRACY! O sombre swart face, now thou art very beautiful to me! O haughty brow, with glittering withdrawn eyes, not a little contemptuous, Thou art very beautiful to me! I am as a child before thee; All that I have learned, all my fancical knowledge, My familiarity with times and distances, All my refinement is nothing—my delicate hands, manners, My glibness is nothing; I crave the touch of thy soul, thou strong one, I crave thy love. Come! who art no longer a name: Gigantic Thou, with head aureoled by the sun—wild among the mountains— Thy huge limbs naked and stalwart erected member, Thy lawless gait and rank untameable laughter, Thy heaven-licking wildfire thoughts and passions— I desire. All conventions, luxuries, all refinements of civilization, and tyrannous wants, Acquisitions, formulated rules, rights, prescriptions, and whatever constitutes a barrier— I discard. All the cobwebs of science, and precedents and conclusions of authority, All possessions, and impedimenta of property, all rights of bundles and baggage— I disown. I stand prepared for toil, for hardship—this instant if need be to start on an unforeseen and distant journey— I am wholly without reserve: As a woman of a man so I will learn of thee, I will draw thee closer and closer, I will drain thy lips and the secret things of thy body, I will conceive by thee, Democracy. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE MEANING OF THE LOOK by ELIZABETH BARRETT BROWNING PHANTOM by SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE ENVOY, TO 'MORE SONGS FROM VAGABONDIA' by RICHARD HOVEY PICTURES FROM APPLEDORE: 5 by JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL THE CLERKS by EDWIN ARLINGTON ROBINSON TO THE SMALL CELANDINE (1) by WILLIAM WORDSWORTH SONG OF YOUTH by LULU PIPER AIKEN |