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John Marr And Other Poems - With An Introductory Note By Henry Chapin
John Marr And Other Poems With An Introductory Note By Henry Chapin Author:Herman Melville It is clear that he did not set himself to master the poets art, yet through the mask of conventional verse which often falls into doggerel, the voice of a true poet is heard. In selecting the pieces for this volume I have put in the vigorous sea verses of John Marr in their entirety and added those others from his Battle Pieces, limoleo a, etc.... more », that best indicate the quality of their authors personality. The prose Supplement to Battle Pieces has been included because it does so much to explain the feeling of his war verse and further because it is such a remarkably wise and clear commentary upon those confused and troublous days of post-war reconstruction as in nights deck-watch ye show, Why, lads, so silent here to me, Your watchmate of times long ago Once, for all the darkling sea, You your voices raised how clearly, Striking in when tempest sung Hoisting up the storm-sail cheerly, Life is storm-let storm you rung. Taking things as fated merely, Childlike though the world ye spanned Nor holding unto life too dearly, Ye who held your lives in hand-Skimmers, who on oceans four Petrels were, and larks ashore. 0, not from memory lightly flung, Forgot, like strains no more availing, The heart to music haughtier strung Nay, frequent near me, never staleing, Whose good feeling kept ye young. Like tides that enter creek or stream, Ye come, ye visit me, or seem Swimming out from seas of faces,« less