Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, ed. Poems of Places: An Anthology in 31 Volumes.
America: Vols. XXV–XXIX. 1876–79. | | | | Southern States: Tallulah (Terrora), the River, Ga. | | Tallulah | | J. M. Legaré (1823–1859) |
| | | RECOLLECT thou, in thunder | |
| How Tallulah spoke to thee, | |
| When thy little face with wonder | |
| Lifted upwards, rocks asunder | |
| Riven, shattered, | 5 |
| Black and battered, | |
| Thou aloft didst see? | |
| |
| Downward stalking through Tempesta, | |
| Did a giant shape appear. | |
| All the waters leaping after | 10 |
| Hound-like, with their thunder-laughter | |
| Shook the valley | |
| Teocalli, | |
| Hill-top bleak and bare. | |
| |
| Vast and ponderous, of granite, | 15 |
| Cloud-enwrapt his features were. | |
| In his great calm eyes emotion | |
| Glimmered none; and like an ocean | |
| Billowy, tangled, | |
| Foam bespangled, | 20 |
| Backward streamed his hair. | |
| |
| On his brow like dandelions | |
| Nodded pines: the solid floor | |
| Rocked and reeled beneath his treading, | |
| Black on high a tempest spreading, | 25 |
| Pregnant, passive, | |
| As with massive | |
| Portal, closed the corridor. | |
| |
| Frighted, sobbing, clinging to me | |
| In an agony of dread, | 30 |
| Sawest thou this form tremendous | |
| Striding down the steep stupendous | |
| With the torrent: | |
| Night abhorrent | |
| Closing overhead. | 35 |
| |
| Then my heart dissembling courage, | |
| That thine own so loudly beat, | |
| Comfort thee, I said, poor trembler: | |
| Providence is no dissembler. | |
| Higher power | 40 |
| Guards each flower | |
| Blooming at thy feet. | |
| |
| Flushed and tearful from my bosom | |
| Thereat thou didst lift thy face. | |
| Blue and wide thy eyes resplendent | 45 |
| Turned upon the phantom pendent, | |
| Whose huge shadow | |
| Overshadowed | |
| All the gloomy place. | |
| |
| Back revolving into granite, | 50 |
| Foam and fall and nodding pine, | |
| Sank the phantom. Slantwise driven | |
| Through the storm-cloud rent and riven, | |
| Sunshine glittered, | |
| And there twittered— | 55 |
| Birds in every vine. | |
| |
| Then sonorous from the chasm | |
| Pealed a voice distinct and loud: | |
| “Innocence and God-reliance | |
| Set all evil at defiance. | 60 |
| Maiden, by these | |
| (As by snow, trees) | |
| Evil heads are bowed.” | | | | |
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