Poem: “The Slave in the Dismal Swamp” by Henry Wadsworth Longfello

Download PDF

American Literature – American Poetry – Henry Wadsworth Longfello = Poems by Henry Wadsworth Longfello
< < < The Good Part, that shall not be taken away
The Slave singing at Midnight > > >

The Slave in the Dismal Swamp

In dark fens of the Dismal Swamp
The hunted Negro lay;
He saw the fire of the midnight camp,
And heard at times a horse’s tramp
And a bloodhound’s distant bay.

Where will-o’-the-wisps and glow-worms shine,
In bulrush and in brake;
Where waving mosses shroud the pine,
And the cedar grows, and the poisonous vine
Is spotted like the snake;

Where hardly a human foot could pass,
Or a human heart would dare,
On the quaking turf of the green morass
He crouched in the rank and tangled grass,
Like a wild beast in his lair.

A poor old slave, infirm and lame;
Great scars deformed his face;
On his forehead he bore the brand of shame,
And the rags, that hid his mangled frame,
Were the livery of disgrace.

All things above were bright and fair,
All things were glad and free;
Lithe squirrels darted here and there,
And wild birds filled the echoing air
With songs of Liberty!

On him alone was the doom of pain,
From the morning of his birth;
On him alone the curse of Cain
Fell, like a flail on the garnered grain,
And struck him to the earth!

< < < The Good Part, that shall not be taken away
The Slave singing at Midnight > > >

American Literature – American Poetry – Henry Wadsworth Longfello – Poems by Henry Wadsworth Longfello

If you liked this article, subscribe , put likes, write comments!

Share on social networks

Visit us on Facebook or Twitter

Check out Our Latest Posts

The Slave in the Dismal Swamp

Leave a comment Cancel reply