If you -- if you had told me this before, If I had known of it -- if I had known, I had not played to-night, no, by the gods, I had not played Marc Antony, nor heard You speak the words of Brutus. You -- my brother, You nursed in liberty -- you nourished upon Great thoughts and dreams, have soiled me, soiled the name Of Booth, our father's name. Yes, you have soiled All spirits free, all lofty souls, the soul Of Brutus and of Shakespeare. Why, till now Conceal from me your vote for Lincoln -- why? Why? In your heart of hearts you are ashamed, And loose the secret now for penitence! For you have helped the hand that wrecks and slays Who will be king and on these ruined States Erect a throne. He who commenced this war, And broke the law to do it. He who struck The liberty of speech and of the press; He who tore up the ancient writ of freemen, And filled the jails against the law. Lincoln! Into whose ears the shrieks of horror rise From Gettysburg, Manassas -- yet who says The will of God be done, for him you vote! And walk these boards to-night and live the soul Of Brutus, speak his words -- Oh! "Had you rather Caesar were living and die all slaves than That Caesar were dead to live all freemen." God! You had this secret in your breast the while: This vote for Lincoln, and these words of Brutus Blown from the Shakespeare trumpet to our ears, Hearts, consciences, meant what to you -- meant what? Words for an actor, words for a lisping girl Repeating them by rote! But why not truth For men to live by, to be taken into The beings of men for living? Oh, my God -- I hate you and I leave you. I shall never Look on your face again! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...SAINT PATRICK by EDWIN MARKHAM VIGNETTES OVERSEAS: 9. VILLA SEBELLONI, BELLAGGIO by SARA TEASDALE SONNETS FROM THE PORTUGUESE: 41 by ELIZABETH BARRETT BROWNING EPIGRAM: A LAME BEGGAR by JOHN DONNE AT CASTERBRIDGE FAIR: 1. THE BALLAD-SINGER by THOMAS HARDY |