Boston Poem by Ralph Waldo Emerson

Boston

Rating: 2.9


Sicut Patribus, sit Deus Nobis)

The rocky nook with hilltops three
Looked eastward from the farms,
And twice each day the flowing sea
Took Boston in its arms;
The men of yore were stout and poor,
And sailed for bread to every shore.


And where they went on trade intent
They did what freeman can,
Their dauntless ways did all men praise,
The merchant was a man.
The world was made for honest trade,-
To plant and eat be none afraid.


The waves that rocked them on the deep
To them their secret told;
Said the winds that sung the lads to sleep,
'Like us be free and bold!'
The honest waves refuse to slaves
The empire of the ocean caves.


Old Europe groans with palaces,
Has lords enough and more;-
We plant and build by foaming seas
A city of the poor;-
For day by day could Boston Bay
Their honest labor overpay.


We grant no dukedoms to the few,
We hold like rights and shall;-
Equal on Sunday in the pew,
On Monday in the mall.
For what avail the plough or sail,
Or land or life, if freedom fail?


The noble craftsmen we promote,
Disown the knave and fool;
Each honest man shall have his vote,
Each child shall have his school.
A union then of honest men,
Or union nevermore again.


The wild rose and the barberry thorn
Hung out their summer pride
Where now on heated pavements worn
The feet of millions stride.


Fair rose the planted hills behind
The good town on the bay,
And where the western hills declined
The prairie stretched away.


What care though rival cities soar
Along the stormy coast:
Penn's town, New York, and Baltimore,
If Boston knew the most!


They laughed to know the world so wide;
The mountains said: 'Good-day!
We greet you well, you Saxon men,
Up with your towns and stay!'
The world was made for honest trade,-
To plant and eat be none afraid.


'For you,' they said, 'no barriers be,
For you no sluggard rest;
Each street leads downward to the sea,
Or landward to the West.'


O happy town beside the sea,
Whose roads lead everywhere to all;
Than thine no deeper moat can be,
No stouter fence, no steeper wall!


Bad news from George on the English throne:
'You are thriving well,' said he;
'Now by these presents be it known,
You shall pay us a tax on tea;
'Tis very small,-no load at all,-
Honor enough that we send the call.'


'Not so,' said Boston, 'good my lord,
We pay your governors here
Abundant for their bed and board,
Six thousand pounds a year.
(Your highness knows our homely word,)
Millions for self-government,
But for tribute never a cent.'


The cargo came! and who could blame
If Indians seized the tea,
And, chest by chest, let down the same
Into the laughing sea?
For what avail the plough or sail
Or land or life, if freedom fail?


The townsmen braved the English king,
Found friendship in the French,
And Honor joined the patriot ring
Low on their wooden bench.


O bounteous seas that never fail!
O day remembered yet!
O happy port that spied the sail
Which wafted Lafayette!
Pole-star of light in Europe's night,
That never faltered from the right.


Kings shook with fear, old empires crave
The secret force to find
Which fired the little State to save
The rights of all mankind.


But right is might through all the world;
Province to province faithful clung,
Through good and ill the war-bolt hurled,
Till Freedom cheered and the joy-bells rung.


The sea returning day by day
Restores the world-wide mart;
So let each dweller on the Bay
Fold Boston in his heart,
Till these echoes be choked with snows,
Or over the town blue ocean flows.

COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Kumarmani Mahakul 16 September 2018

A heart touching depiction has been made. Beautifully penned. The last stanza is much impressive.

2 0 Reply
Savita Tyagi 16 September 2018

Such a beautiful write. Pages of history books can never inspire or tell a tale of those brave and honest men like a poet can.

2 0 Reply
Ratnakar Mandlik 24 July 2019

" The sea returning day by day Restores the world wide mart So each dweller on the bay Fold Boston in his heart" . Amazing style of narration and inspirational too.

2 0 Reply
Ratnakar Mandlik 30 April 2017

Each day the flowing sea took Boston in it's arms Wonderful conceptualization and a meaningful, profound write. Thanks for sharing it here.

1 0 Reply
Bernard F. Asuncion 16 September 2018

Such a great write by Ralph Waldo Emerson👍👍👍

0 0 Reply
Sylvia Frances Chan 21 June 2022

THREE: During his last years he became increasingly involved in the anti-slavery campaign, but fell a victim to dementia, writing Terminus in the realisation that his intellect was failing.. Great Poet with a very weak health, very sad

0 0 Reply
Sylvia Frances Chan 21 June 2022

TWO: He returned to Europe in 1847 and renewed his friendship with Carlyle, with whom he had kept in touch by letter, and met other European thinkers and writers

0 0 Reply
Sylvia Frances Chan 21 June 2022

ONE: like the fathers, God be with us, A city of the poor, for day by day could Boston Bay, their honest labour overpay

0 0 Reply
Rose Marie Juan-austin 20 June 2022

A powerful, wonderful and inspiring write with compelling images and nice rhyme.

0 0 Reply
Chinedu Dike 24 May 2022

An interesting tale written with clarity of thought and mind. The rhyme scheme is something to admire...

0 0 Reply
READ THIS POEM IN OTHER LANGUAGES
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Boston / United States
Close
Error Success