Poetry Manuscripts

Table of Contents
Color Key

       
[Leaf 1 recto]

To the year 1889.

Have I no ^ weapon‑word for thee—some message brief
        and fierce?
Have I fought out ^ and done indeed the battle? wholly? is
        there no shot left,
For all thy affectations, lisps, scorns, ^ manifold silliness?
Nor for myself—my own rebellious self [one letter illegible] in thee?
 
two leads
Down, down, proud gorge—tho' choking thee,
Thy bearded throat and high-borne forehead to the
        gutter,
Crouch low thy neck to eleemosynary gifts.
 
[Leaf 1 verso]    
Date
This manuscript was probably written near the end of 1888 or in the first few days of 1889.
Editorial note
"To the Year 1889" was published first on January 5, 1889, in the Critic. The poem was later retitled "To the Pending Year."
The verso has two notes in unknown hands. The first reads "Sky/$25.-" and the second "65."
Notes written on manuscript
In top margin, in unknown hand: vs 553.
Location
To the Year 1889  |  Yale Collection of American Literature, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library.
Whitman Archive ID
yal.00007

Comments?

Published Works | In Whitman's Hand | Life & Letters | Commentary | Resources | Pictures & Sound

Support the Archive | About the Archive

Distributed under a Creative Commons License. Ed Folsom & Kenneth M. Price, editors.