THE FLIGHT OF THE EAGLE 211 



why, that is an accident that bars them in a measure 

 to us, but not to the future. 



Very frequently in these lists or enumerations of 

 objects, actions, shows, etc., there are sure to occur 

 lines of perfect description : — 



"Where the heifers browse — where geese nip their food with 

 short jerks ; 



Where sun-down shadows lengthen over the limitless and 

 lonesome prairie ; 



Where herds of buffalo make a crawling spread of the square 

 miles far and near ; 



Where the splash of swimmers and divers cools the warm noon ; 



Where the katydid works her chromatic reed on the walnut- 

 tree oyer the well." 



" Spar-makers in the spar-yard, the swarming row of well-grown 



apprentices. 

 The swing of their axes on the square-hew'd log, shaping it 



toward the shape of a mast, 

 The brisk short crackle of the steel driven slantingly into the 



pine, 

 The butter-color' d chips flying off in great flakes and slivers, 

 The limber motion of brawny young arms and hips in easy 



costumes." 



"Always these compact lands — lands tied at the hips with the 

 belt stringing the huge oval lakes." 



"Far breath'd land! Arctic braced! Mexican breez'd! — the di- 

 verse! the compact!" 



Tried by the standards of the perfect statuesque 

 poems, these pages will indeed seem strange enough; 

 but viewed as a part of the poetic compend of 

 America, the swift gathering-in, from her wide- 

 spreading, multitudinous, material life, of traits and 

 points and suggestions that belong here and are 

 characteristic, they have their value. The poet casts 

 his great seine into events and doings and material 



