"To a Locomotive in Winter." Poem By Walt Whitman. February 23d, 1874. Autograph Notes, Showing Evolution of the Poem, Frank Thomson. From Thomas Donaldson, 1894. Walt WhitmanTo a locomotive Thee in thy panoply! [Moving] Moving Thee [and] in the winter storm the [winter] snow, + winds -- will storm wreck) Y thee Draped all in drape and flex of fleecy vapor Come, merge thyself in and serve the muse get thyself Arrange thyself in verse [Covered with changing flex] [Moving with flex of changing] Moving in clouds of vapor-flex and smoke Thee, even as now -- the driving storm -- the snow -- the winter day declines, [Thee] Come merge thyself with thy surroundings all, and serve the muse Arrange thyself in in verse. - boiler [*the Chimney, rising [*2*] - cylinders out of the springs smoke box*] frame - wheels - beam smoke box - chimney ash-pan steam-chest valve-gear - piston-rod pumps feed-pipe The cars, speeding along on their dense swift-turning wheels [Two] The two ideas - [twin ideas] of Power and Motion (twins, dear, dear to the modern) Address the locomotive -- as personally inviting it ring the bell all through & blow the whistleThe dark [and belching] clouds [of dark] [*3*] [smoke] belching puffing out from the smoke stack Or steam from ? -- the long pale, fleecy pennants, tinged with blue, The beating whirls of snow continuous. Thundering [smudge?] laughing, shrieking, tearing, Fierce demon, glad and grim, Power and motion the warning bell The flagman -- the lamp at night The [g.hands?] gesticulation The head-light seen in the distance at night, swiftly approaching [*4*] [at night,] The rapid musical The increasing light, presenting dazzling, radiating wide (First describe the storm in the air, the snow, all the particulars.) All through [the] by day at intervals the brawling bell must ring its notes At night the silent signal-lantern swing. Thee [I] I to invoke - thee too inveigle Into my lines -- There as on thine own H There shall let appear --The measured, convulsive, dual beat, the [*5*] rapid roar so metrical dying away in [the] distance. hoarse -- shaking the ground, rumbling The long train swiftly moving Come, let me put thee in a verse, Tame thee to roll written by lines not [wholly] unlike thine Be thou an emblem - mine, thy blasts of lawless music, -- mine thy [?] free echoes, Far-flying oer the [l] fields, -- sent up the rivers -- by [the] the grey rocks by the hills returned Unpent, filling the air, talling old Chronos, ever new, glad and strong No parlor sweetness [I] mine, nor trembling harp, nor liquid [and] glib piano.[*6*] Thee for my recitative! Symbol of Power and motion - type of the modern Let the muse seize thee Let thy loud brawling signal bell ring out by Day between my verses At night thy silent lantern sway Thy vast cylindric, brass [?] [*7*] body, Symbol of Force and motion! Pulse of the [modern] continents! Apple and gem of engineering, type of the modern Lily of power! thou harnessed comet! Star of [the modern]! Weft and warp of the Union Keel of Democracy! [Th] [Thou be a ever-beating] Thou beating , ever expanding pulse of the [b] modern [vices] [Demon of] Grim, [Black,] valv'd, hoarse, singing beauty These, these in thee new song combine sound for [the] a type of the modern! Pulse of the continent -- symbol of force and motion [The measur'd beat, convulsive, dual] [*8*] The metrical, now swelling roar, now tapering in the distance, The rumbling tremulous motion of the earth [ground] The dark clouds belching, belching from the smoke-stack The long pale fleecy trailing pennants, tinged with blue, from the steam-pipe The beating whirls of snow continuous dashing, enveloping all, The warning bell -- the flagman with his flag, or hands gesticulating The colored lamp at night motioning in the darkness. [These] These, these [of th] -- these I combine, I sound for a new song. 9 Fierce Demon, glad & grim! Fierce-throated beauty! (No parlor-sweetness thine- nor trembling harp, nor begin glib piano.) Be thou & thine my emblem- mine thy blasts of lawless music mine they far-flying echoes- o'er the fields launch o'er the [?????] or [?] the rivers--By the grey rocks, [?] hills returned (Unpent & free to all & wide and glad & strong.10 Thy measured beat convulsing duals Thy piercing, madly, shrieking, whistled laughter [ Thee for [my] recitative,] Thy iron black and yellow brass, and [ bright grey ] silvery steel, The huge bright gray parallel and connecting [, parallel] rods gyrating at thy side, Thy metrical now swelling sob and roar, now tapering in the distance, Thy great protruding head-light fixed in front Thy long, pale, delicate, fleecy, tracking pennants tinged with blue, Thy dark clouds densely puffing, belching from the smoke stack, Thy knitted frame, thin springs and valves [-the rak] - The long, obedient train of cars following around, - the rumble of thy wheels, [- Thy mighty cylinder, brass-hoafs'd, - the parabled and connecting rods, gyrating] [Thy flash; dazzling head-light cotact [like of throw] [rapid bring or costume] [tha falling thr rude darkness, nearing] approaching, expanding, Thriry the darkness.] Through storm or realm, now swift, now slack, yet steadily careening, Type of the modern ! Emblem of [swiftien] suition and power ! [Pulse of the Continent] Pulse of the continent! [Emblem of darkness and power!] These I [now] here combine, as here, and now, These, these, & thee, I sound, for a new song.To a locomotive Thee in thy panoply! Emblem of power and motion & (dearest twin of the modern.) Moving in clouds of vapor, heat and smoke, Thee, evan as now- the driving storm- the mover the winter day . Come thore thyself and thy kin Rowdy all, and reserve the mule; And merge thyself in verse. -------------------- Bring all Thy vast cylinderic brass-hoop´d body, Thy frame + Springs & valves The chimney, rising out of the smoke bore, -Thy train behind cars speedy along on their dense, swift, turning wheels Bring all- noll on my lines are open Their are Be thou theyre indeed thy recitations All through, by day, at intervaly the banging bell signal was in trade. At night the silent signal cantered attention. 12 To a Locomotive ? Feb. 23. 1874 Thee for my recitative Thee in thy panoply, even as now, The drawing storm, the snow, the winter day deslining; ? Come, thou thyself + thy surroundings All and serve for once thy muse, [?? all] [Bring all ?? and] And merge thyself in verse. Roll on [ Bring all [ +] roll on] [??] my lines as on [is] thine own, [let thy loud brawling [??] [signal] warning bell in them sing it its motes by day ?? At night thy silent lantern swing in them] By [ All through by] day at intervals thy warning bravely bell [shall] to ring its notes by [ at] night thy silent signal lamp to [lantern] swing [*13] Type of the modern! Pulse of the continent! Emblem of swiftness & power, They measured beat [co?atsive] Thy [d] great, cylindric brass-hoop'd body, Thy head light seen in the distance at night, rapidly [?dray] near, Thy flashing, dazzling lantern [l] round & clear at night The flashman with his hand (day), [? gesticalaly] The dense & whily snow- the wind [with] in whirly gusts capricious ? With The measur'd beat, convulsive dual Roll through my [newer] verse [today] ! On copious folds of vapor blase & smoke [Through all advancing] Rect. not the buffeting storm, the gusts of wind the beating snow, Proudly Through all advancing, thine own track [Our?] [following, gliding, parting?], truly, holding Ever by day the warning bell to ring its notes By night thy silent lamp to swing Fierce-throated beauty! [of copious drape folds] [Moving in clouds of vapor blase & smoke] Be there & thine my ? emblem - mine thy blasts of lawless music! (No parlor sweetness thine - nor trembling. harp, nor liquid glib piano;) Mine thy far-flying echoes, startling; Thy [trills?] rousing all, [Truly], by the grey rocks, of hills & woods returned, Launch'd oer the prairies wide- across the lakes, or up the streams [Sent] to the free skies, unspent, and [unspent & free, and wide, and] glad and strong.To a Locomotive in Winter. Thee for my recitative, Thee in the driving storm even as now, the snow, the winter-day declining, Thee in thy panoply, thy measur'd dual throbbing and thy beat convulsive, Thy black cylindric body, golden brass and silvery steel, Thy ponderous side-bars, parallel and connecting rods, gyrating, shuttling at thy sides. Thy metrical, now swelling pant and roar, now tapering in the distance, Thy great protruding head-light fix'd in front, Thy long, pale, floating, vapor-pennants, tinged with delicate purple, The dense and murky clouds out-belching from thy smoke-stack, Thy knitted frame, thy springs and valves, the tremulous twinkle of thy wheels, Thy train of cars behind, obedient, merrily following, Through gale or calm, now swift, now slack, yet steadily careering; Type of the modern - emblem of motion and power - pulse of the continent, For once come serve the Muse and merge in verse, even as here I see thee, With storm and buffeting gusts of wind and falling snow, By day thy warning ringing bell to sound its notes, By night thy silent signal lamps to swing. Fierce-throated beauty! Roll through my chant with all thy lawless music, thy swinging lamps at night, Thy madly-whistled laughter, echoing, rumbling like an earthquake, rousing all, Law of thyself complete, thine own track firmly holding, (No sweetness debonair of tearful harp or glib piano thine) Thy trills of shrieks by rocks and hills return'd, Launch'd o'er the prairies wide, across the lakes, To the free skies unpent and glad and strong. "Leaves of Grass," pages 358-9, Edition of 1882