Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, ATLAS, by VIOLA CHITTENDEN WHITE


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

ATLAS, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: Age after age the titan held
Last Line: "and shall I always hold the earth?"
Subject(s): Wellesley College


AGE after age the Titan held,
Through blinding snow and thunder-wrack,
Temple and forest, field and mine.
He held the earth upon his back.

Earth's people of importance came,
They peered sagacious o'er the rim
Where through the shadow Atlas loomed,
To see what could be done for him.

One said, "The man should stand erect,
And view the stars with lifted head."
"How can he stand erect, when earth
Is on his back?" another said.

"His hours are profitless and long,
He ought to have a book down there."
One argued, "If he moves his hand
To take a book, can you declare

Where earth will drop?" A fourth replied,
"This is no tale of fays and elves.
If earth drops, gentlemen, we drop,
For we are on the earth ourselves."

They ceased. Portentous on their ears
As a world's death, as a world's birth,
Up the steep dark the Titan spoke: --
"And shall I always hold the earth?"





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