PEPACTON 



poet must have studied the moonlight to hit upon 

 this descriptive phrase: 



"The vitreous pour of the full moon just tinged with 

 blue; " 



how long have looked upon the carpenter at his 

 bench to have made this poem: 



" The tongue of his fore-plane whistles its wild ascending 

 lisp;" 



or how lovingly listened to the nocturne of the 

 mockingbird to have turned it into words in "A 

 Word out of the Sea" ! Indeed, no poet has studied 

 American nature more closely than Whitman has, 

 or is more cautious in his uses of it. How easy are 

 his descriptions! 



"Behold the daybreak! 



The little light fades the immense and diaphanous 

 shadows!" 



" The comet that came unannounced 



Out of the north, flaring in heaven." 



" The fan-shaped explosion." 



" The slender and jagged threads of lightning, as sudden 

 and fast amid the din they chased each other across 

 the sky." 



"Where the heifers browse where geese nip their food 

 with short jerks; 



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