| Edmund Clarence Stedman, ed. (1833–1908). An American Anthology, 1787–1900. 1900. |
| |
| 195. From “The Building of the Ship” |
| | | The Republic |
| | | By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow |
| |
| |
| THOU, too, sail on, O Ship of State! | |
| Sail on, O UNION, strong and great! | |
| Humanity with all its fears, | |
| With all the hopes of future years, | |
| Is hanging breathless on thy fate! | 5 |
| We know what Master laid thy keel, | |
| What Workmen wrought thy ribs of steel, | |
| Who made each mast, and sail, and rope, | |
| What anvils rang, what hammers beat, | |
| In what a forge and what a heat | 10 |
| Were shaped the anchors of thy hope! | |
| Fear not each sudden sound and shock, | |
| ’T is of the wave and not the rock; | |
| ’T is but the flapping of the sail, | |
| And not a rent made by the gale! | 15 |
| In spite of rock and tempest’s roar, | |
| In spite of false lights on the shore, | |
| Sail on, nor fear to breast the sea! | |
| Our hearts, our hopes, are all with thee, | |
| Our hearts, our hopes, our prayers, our tears, | 20 |
| Our faith triumphant o’er our fears, | |
| Are all with thee,—are all with thee! | |
| |
|
|
|
