An Alphabetical Antislavery Appeal
Ah, answer, ardent Angels an agonized Appeal
By black-browed bleeding Bondsmen breathed ?? below!
Come calm, celestial courage, cold clouds cannot conceal
Divine deliverance dealing, divinest-duty do
Exalt Emancipation e’er Evil’s eyes elate
Find Freedom’s flashing falchion fall in from feeble fingers forth
God’s gathered generations growing gradually great
Have honored her heroic hand, her hero-haunted hearth.
Inveterate in inward ill iniquity invites
Jehovah’s jarless judgements juridically just;
Kirk-Kennelled[?] knows, kidnappers, kin-killers, kindred kites!
Lash-lacerating Labor’s links, let loose lo ??’s lust.
Majestic moral Martyrs must make Mankind manifest;
Nor negro now, nor northman, used Nemesian ?? name
One ominous overwhelming of oppressor, of oppressed
Portentious passive prophecy, pained Patriots proclaim!
Quit, Quakers, quietistic qualms, quicksanded quibblery quotes
Rise, radiant – Renovators! Restore Religion’s reign
Shake slavery’s southern slaughter-house, sorn Sampson’s ?? shake,
Till tumbles that tall temple to tomb the Tyrant’s train!
Unhallowed Usurpation uxorious Union urges;
Vibrating viewless vasty vans victorious vengeance verges!
Well on with worthy weapons were wreathes which warriors wear
Xerophugist, Ximenes, Xantippeus Xauriare
Yet you, ye Yankee yeoman, your youthful hearing yield
Zealothie Zanies Zionward, Zamboward, Zarozealed!
- Title
- An Alphabetical Antislavery Appeal
- First Line
- Ah, answer, ardent Angels an agonized Appeal
- Creator
-
George Shepard Burleigh
- Bibliographic Citation
- George S. Burleigh Papers, 1825-1902. John Hay Library, Brown University. Miscellaneous Manuscripts, "A" file, HA1108
- Date
- Date tbd
- Subject
- Abolition
- Word Play
- Comments
- Wildly incomplete poem, but it is interesting to see the young poet at work, combining moral warfare and wordplay. The letters "X" and "Z" are particularly desparate.
- "By B." pseudonym
- Transcription is speculative in places.
- This was likely never published
- Alphabetical AND Alliterative!
- Favorite line: "Majestic moral Martyrs must make Mankind manifest"
- Rating
- ★★