History & Politics
The Portent
From Battle-Pieces and Aspects of the War
History & Politics
Hanging from the beam,
Slowly swaying (such the law),
Gaunt the shadow on your green,
Shenandoah!
The cut is on the crown
(Lo, John Brown),
And the stabs shall heal no more.
Hidden in the cap
Is the anguish none can draw;
So your future veils its face,
Shenandoah!
But the streaming beard is shown
(Weird John Brown),
The meteor of the the war.
✦ ✦ ✦
Codex Note
Dated 1859.
Cite this poem
MLA
Melville, Herman. “The Portent.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/melville/0/.
Chicago
Melville, Herman. “The Portent.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/melville/0/.
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