[lbo-talk] Clarel: A Poem and Pilgrimage in the Holy Land

Yoshie Furuhashi critical.montages at gmail.com
Wed Aug 1 11:56:46 PDT 2007


Today's Herman Melville's birthday. Here's an excerpt, half materialist, half existentialist, from his long poem, Clarel.

Yes, long as children feel affright

In darkness, men shall fear a God;

And long as daisies yield delight

Shall see His footprints in the sod.

Is't ignorance? This ignorant state

Science doth but elucidate --

Deepen, enlarge. But though 'twere made

Demonstrable that God is not --

What then? It would not change this lot:

The ghost would haunt, nor could be laid.

Yea, ape and angel, strife and old debate --

The harps of heaven and the dreary gongs of hell;

Science the feud can only aggravate --

No umpire she betwixt the chimes and knell:

The running battle of the star and clod

Shall run for ever -- if there be no God.

But through such strange illusions have they passed

Who in life's pilgrimage have baffled striven --

Even death may prove unreal at the last,

And stoics be astounded into heaven.

-- Yoshie



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