(As we approach it the fifth time.)
Printed by H. A. Rost Printing & Publishing Co.
Image courtesy of the Library of Congress
Roar on, roar on thou king of roaring waters —
Pour on, pour on thou queen of pouring waters —
Such heavy thunders in thy roarings !
Such endless wonders in thy pourings !
( As we walk over the long iron bridge to Goat Island.)
Leap on, leap on thou king of leaping waters —
Sweep on, sweep on thou queen of sweeping waters —
Such mighty tossings in thy leapings !
Such sightly glossings in thy sweepings !
( As we rest among the rocks and trees on the Three Sister
Islands.)
Sound on, sound on thou king of sounding waters —
Bound on, bound on thou queen of bounding waters-
Such soothing sweetness in thy soundings !
Such wooing neatness in thy boundings !
( As we study the contending rapids along the west side of Goat Island.)
Drive on, drive on thou king of driving waters —
Strive on, strive on thou queen of striving waters —
Such royal turnings in thy drivings !
Such loyal yearnings in thy strivings !
( As we stand on the smooth foundation rocks of
the Old Tower, at the verge of the great Horseshoe Fall.)
Plunge on, plunge on thou king of plunging waters —
Lunge on, lunge on thou queen of lunging waters —
Such ponderous slowness in thy plungings !
Such wonderous boldness in thy lungings !
( As we look down from the grassy verge of Luna Island.)
Wend on, wend on thou king of wending waters —
Blend on, blend on thou queen of blending waters —
Such winding chasms in thy wendings !
Such shining fathoms in thy blendings !
( As we sit on the rocks of the Canadian Shore in a sunny day.)
Beam on, beam on thou king of beaming waters —
Stream on, stream on thou queen of streaming waters —
Such showers of brightness in thy beamings !
Such towers of whiteness in thy streamings !
( As we approach Prospect Point in the American Park.)
Jar on, jar on thou king of jarring waters —
Mar on, mar on thou queen of marring waters —
Such rumbling deepness in thy jarrings !
Such humbling steepness in thy marrings !
( As we look over the trembling wall at Prospect Point.)
Pound on, pound on thou king of pounding waters —
Mound on, mound on thou queen of mounding waters—
Such anvil chorals in thy poundings !
Such grand memorials in thy moundings !
( As we enter the Cave of the Winds on Goat Island.)
Crash on, crash on thou king of crashing waters —
Dash on, dash on thou queen of dashing waters —
Such tangled echoes in thy crashings !
Such spangled haloes in thy dashings !
( As we linger on the quivering wire bridge, one
hundred and ninety feet above the purified river below.)
Roam on, roam on thou king of roaming waters —
Foam on, foam on thou queen of foaming waters —
Such playful rollings in thy roamings !
Such graceful scrollings in thy foamings !
( As we sit quietly on the beautiful river banks, about
one mile below the Falls on the American side.)
Move on, move on thou king of moving waters —
Groove on, groove on thou queen of grooving waters —
Such awful grandeur in thy movings !
Such walls of splendor in thy groovings !
( As we view the Whirlpool Rapids from below the elevator.)
Go on, go on thou king of going waters —
Flow on, flow on thou queen of flowing waters —
Such piling billows in thy goings !
Such smiling pillows in thy flowings !
(As we stroll along the steep banks of the Whirlpool, toward a large
overhanging pine, that stands three hundred and fifty feet above the water.)
Whirl on, whirl on thou king of whirling waters —
Swirl on, swirl on thou queen of swirling waters —
Such peerless surgings in thy whirlings !
Such fearless mergings in thy swirlings !
Seethe on, seethe on thou king of seething waters —
Wreathe on, wreathe on thou queen of wreathing waters —
Such boiling acres in thy seethings !
Such coiling breakers in thy wreathings !
(As we sit on the rocks with our feet at the waters’
edge of the Whirlpool Outlet.)
Rush on, rush on thou king of rushing waters —
Blush on, blush on thou queen of blushing waters —
Such matchless gradings in thy rushings !
Such rapturous shadings in thy blushings !
( Our parting reflections. )
Chime on, chime on thou king of chiming waters —
Rhyme on, rhyme on thou queen of rhyming waters —
Such holy pleasures in thy chimings !
Such lowly measures in thy rhymings !
Chide on, chide on thou king of chiding waters —
Glide on, glide on thou queen of gliding waters —
Such timely warnings in thy chidings !
Such fine adornings in thy glidings !
Fall on, fall on thou king of falling waters —
Call on, call on thou queen of calling waters —
Such massive speedings in thy fallings !
Such passive pleadings in thy callings !
Praise on, praise on thou king of praising waters —
Haze on, haze on thou queen of hazing waters —
Such plain old stories in thy praisings !
Such rain-bow glories in thy hazings !
Farewell, farewell thou king of preaching waters —
Farewell, farewell thou queen of teaching waters —
Such awe Divine in all thy preachings.
No words of mine can voice thy teachings.
Source: Chester E. Pond. The Falls of Niagara Our School of Sublimity. Topeka, Kansas, 1888. Cover title: The Sublime Niagara of Our World.
N.B. This poem comes after a series of lessons by Pond about Niagara Falls, as “Thoughtful persons visit the Falls not so much for temporary pleasure as for permanent soul culture. Not simply to be able to say, “I have seen the great Niagara,” but to become better acquainted with Niagara’s great Creator.
View these lessons on Hathi Trust:
The rhyme scheme reminds me of a Pauline Johnson poem. The Song My Paddle Sings
I like both poems.