Canoerebel
Posts: 9036
Joined: 12/14/2002
From: Northwestern Georgia, USA
Status: online
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Gents,
In re-reading a Walt Whitman poem last night, it became quite clear that the great American poet purchased AE and witnessed it destroy his home life. His poety is replete with images of him forsaking wife, family, job, everything for the sake of the game. We all know how he feels. So read once again Beat! Beat! Drums!, and know the siren song of AE:
BEAT! BEAT! DRUMS!
BY WALT WHITMAN.
Beat! beat! drums!—Blow! bugles! blow!
Through the windows—through the doors—start your computer war
of pixilated men,
Into the solemn church, and scatter the congregation;
Into the school where the scholar is studying;
Leave not the bridegroom quiet—no happiness must he
have now with his bride;
Nor the peaceful farmer any peace plowing his field or
gathering his grain;
So fierce the propeller, so piercing the shell, and so pound, you drums—so shrill you
bugles blow.
Beat! beat! drums! Blow! bugles! blow!
Over the traffic of cities—over the rumble of wheels in
the streets;
Are beds prepared for sleepers at night in the houses?
No sleepers must sleep in those beds;
No bargainers' bargains by day—no brokers or speculators.
Would they continue?
Would the talkers be talking? would the singer attempt
to sing?
Would the lawyer rise in the court to state his case before
the judge?
Then rattle quicker, heavier drums—and bugles wilder
blow.
Beat! beat! drums! Blow! bugles! blow!
Make no parley—stop for no expostulation;
Mind not the timid—mind not the weeper or prayer;
Mind not the old man beseeching the young man;
Let not the child's voice be heard, nor the mother's en-
treaties. Recruit! recruit!
Make the very trestles shake under the dead, where they
lie in their shrouds awaiting the hearses.
So strong you thump, O terrible drums—so loud you bu-
gles blow.
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Walt Whitman Played AE - 
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