[*Feinberg/Whitman  Literary File  Poetry File  "The Play-Ground" (1846).  A. Ms. draft. (DCNI)*]
[*Box 28 Folder 39*]
[*Includes verso prose piece.*][*Friends of the Detroit Public Library, Inc.  684*]

1846 The Play-Ground; a poem. A. MS. (1p. 20 x 16 1/2 cm.)

The Play-Ground, as it appeared originally in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle,
June 1, 1846 (during Whitman's editorship of the paper). With some corrections
on lines 9 and 14 (in blue ink) which were never published. {1}The Play-Ground.

When painfully athwart my brain
   Dark thoughts come crowding on,
And, sick of worldly hollowness,
   My heart feels sad and lone—
Then out upon the green I walk,
   Just ere the close of day,
And swift I ween the sight I view
   Clears all my gloom away.—
For there [[?] children,] the village children come—
   The cheeriest things on earth,
I see them play—I hear their tones
   Of loud and reckless mirth.—
And many a clear and flute-like laugh
   [Comes] Flies ringing through the air ;
And many a roguish, flashing eye,
   And rich red cheek are there.—
O, lovely, happy children !
   I am with you in my soul :
I shout—I strike the ball with you—
   With you I race and roll.—
Methinks, white-winged angels,
   Floating unseen the while,
Hover around this village green,
   And pleasantly they smile.
O, angels ! guard these children !
   Keep grief and guilt away :
From worldly harm—from evil thoughts—
   O, shield them night and day ![far. Amoungst this latter lap, I shall merely recount 
one, which may give some idea of the extent to which
 Mr. [Eangr?er??t] carried his [passion?] for frolic, as well 
as the heinous consequences sometimes attendant 
on these [raptures?].
         It is about three weeks since Mr. Ernest 
de B..... invited several of his friends in a hunting 
party; [Eangue???t] was among the invited. Just as 
the guests arrived Ernest was sealing a letter which 
he had [?] been writing; he placed it in the chimney 
[p?i?] whilst he greeted his friends with a welcome.
          [Eanguemut], with his usual curiosity 
took up the letter, and having looked at the direction 
- Ah, said he, you have been writing to your sister
 in law
- Yes replied Ernest, in an indifferent tone; I have 
been giving her notice that she may expect us all [to] 
at dinner this evening at seven o'clock; as our party 
is rather large (fifteen, I believe) I though it prudent 
to give her notice, lest by taking her by surprise, we
might run the risk of finding but a poor dinner.
          Earnest rang the bell, and gave the note to 
the servant with directions to take it to the chateau 
of his sister in law. No one however perceived that 
[Eanguemut] left the room at the same moment
          In the course of half an hour all the party 
had started for the field, each choosing their different 
directions. [Eanguemut] and another group [?] of the party 
took the same direction.

[*67]
[*The Play=Ground]