Poem: “The New Zealot To The Sun” by Herman Melville

Poems From Timoleon

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American Literature – American Poetry – Herman Melville – Poems by Herman Melville – Poems From Timoleon
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The New Zealot To The Sun

Persian, you rise
Aflame from climes of sacrifice
Where adulators sue,
And prostrate man, with brow abased,
Adheres to rites whose tenor traced
All worship hitherto.

    Arch type of sway,
Meetly your over-ruling ray
    You fling from Asia’s plain,
Whence flashed the javelins abroad
Of many a wild incursive horde
    Led by some shepherd Cain.

    Mid terrors dinned
Gods too came conquerors from your Ind,
    The book of Brahma throve;
They came like to the scythed car,
Westward they rolled their empire far,
    Of night their purple wove.

    Chemist, you breed
In orient climes each sorcerous weed
    That energizes dream—
Transmitted, spread in myths and creeds,
Houris and hells, delirious screeds
    And Calvin’s last extreme.

    What though your light
In time’s first dawn compelled the flight
    Of Chaos’ startled clan,
Shall never all your darted spears
Disperse worse Anarchs, frauds and fears,
    Sprung from these weeds to man?

    But Science yet
An effluence ampler shall beget,
    And power beyond your play—
Shall quell the shades you fail to rout,
Yea, searching every secret out
    Elucidate your ray.

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American Literature – American Poetry – Herman Melville – Poems by Herman Melville – Poems From Timoleon

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Poems From Timoleon

The New Zealot To The Sun

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