FEINBERG/WHITMAN   LITERARY FILE   POETRY FILE   "Sword Calls"(1863-64). A.MS.draft&notes.
Box 29 Folder 36

Joys of War       see Mass Cav. man
[A cavalry]                      in Ward F.
[With]                        Sword Calls
On my saddle seated, my sabre grasping
With my sabre in my hand
[With] & I
[In] Where
[When the] sabres flash & clink
In &
[When the fight, the] the fight of
horsemen, [with] on [their fast]
turning horses; glad I join
With [Glad I join with] the cavalry
I join, on my saddle,
with my reins in hand,
with my pistol handy
Soon my blood is up [as] soon the
fight grows deeper, deeper sharp
the crack; pistols,
Bloody gashes, angry cusses,
shouts, screams of wounded,

180

1863-64 Sword Calls: notes for poem. A.MS. (3p. 31½ x 20 cm.,
     31½ x 20 cm., 20½ x 12½ cm.)

Written in ink on a large sheet from a notebook (second sheet
blank), 100 words; with 100 further words on a smaller page,
written in pencil, with title 'Sword Calls' in red ink:

idea of piece — Sword-Calls.
     invocation to the sword
          in dialogue
              dramatic         form
first ? invokes the sword
second —The sword answers  him them it
again                  ?          invokes the sword.
             or
                       [more] descriptive as
first     so [a]& so—invoked call'd the sword
                            then
[*over*]

          the result — the sword came
—The sword came with keen edge
------
so & so     Call'd the sword.

     The sword came, sadly and slowly
     Weeping, trailing [the ground with slow] low,
         down toward the ground
--------------------------
The sword came, & the bayonet,
And the cannon responded, with long procession,
And [the Cavalry, with] by swift horses, the cavalry
     on high-pomel'd saddles.                                        /       /

Joys of War                      See Mass Cav. Man in Ward F
     [A cavalry]                            Sword Calls
[With] On my saddle seated, my sabre grasping
     With my sabre in my hand
     [With] & h
[When in] Where the sabres flash & clink

[*181*]

Sword Calls: p. 2

[When] In [the fight, the] the fight of horsemen, [with] on their [pist]
     turning horses, glad I join
[Glad I join with] With the cavalry I join on my saddle, with my
     reins in hand, with my pistol handy
Soon my blood is up [as] soon the fight grows deeper, deeper sharp
     the cracking pistols,
Bloody gashes, angry curses, shouts, screams of wounded,

Idea of piece — Sword-Calls.
     Invocation to the Sword
          in dialogue
              Dramatic         form
first ? invokes the sword
second —The sword answers  him them it
again                  ?          invokes the sword.
             or
                       [more] descriptive as
                            call'd
first     so & so—invoked the sword
                            then
          the result — the sword came
—The sword came with keen edge

so & so     Call'd the sword.

     The sword came, sadly and slowly
     Weeping, trailing [the ground with slow] low,
         down toward the ground
The sword came, & the bayonet,
And the cannon responded, with long
     procession,
And [the Cavalry, with] by swift horses, the cavalry
     on high-pomel'd saddles.

Transcribed and reviewed by contributors participating in the By The People project at crowd.loc.gov.