Poet of the Future

Description:	The Poet Of The Future O the Poet of the Future!— he will come to us as comesThe beauty of the bugle’s voice above the roar of drums—The beauty of the bugle’s voice above the roar and dinOf battle=drums that pulse the time the victor marches in:His hands will hold no harp, in sooth—his lifted brow will bearNo coronet of laurel—nay, nor symbol anywhere,Save that his palms are brothers to the toiler’s at the plow,His face to heaven, and the dew of duty on his brow.He will sing across the orchard: and the woman at the wellWill stay the dripping bucket, with a smile ineffable; And the children in the orchard will gaze wistfully the wayThe happy song comes to them, with the fragrance of the hay;The barn will neigh an answer, and the pasture=lands behindWill chime with bells, and send responsive looings down the wind;And all the echoes of the wood will jubilantly callIn sweetest mimicry of that one sweetest voice of all. O the Poet of the Future! He will come as man to man,—With the honest hand of labor, and the honest face of tan;The honest heart of loveliness, the honest soul of loveFor humankind, and naturekind about him and above:His hands will hold no harp, in sooth—his lifted brow will bearNo coronet of laurel—nay, nor symbol anywhere,Save that his palms are brothers to the toiler’s at the plow,His face to heaven, and the dew of duty on his brow. James Whitcomb Riley. Fully transcribed
Origin:	Circa 1910
Created By:	Riley, James Whitcomb
Source:	http://images.indianahistory.org/cdm/ref/collection/DC003/id/154
Collection:	James Whitcomb Riley -- Hoosier Poet
Copyright:	Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library Riley Collection, 1835-1960, Indiana Historical Society
Subjects:	Poetry Riley, James Whitcomb, 1849-1916

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