Demos Triumphant
PROSPERO touched the lips of Caliban;
And to speech, calling, answered timid thought,
Which made the loutish fingers deft, and taught
The fierce heart patience. Shrewd the master’s plan;
But on a day was lifted the long ban Of fear, — when the wand, broken, no spell wrought,
And Ariel vanished. Then the master sought
Where he had left a slave, and found a man.
And Prospero was afraid, expecting death
From one he thought mad with remembered wrong;
And cursed his broken wand and vagrant elf.
But Caliban said gently: “Of thy breath
Was born the spirit which has made me strong.
Caliban spares thee lest he shame himself.”
And to speech, calling, answered timid thought,
Which made the loutish fingers deft, and taught
The fierce heart patience. Shrewd the master’s plan;
But on a day was lifted the long ban Of fear, — when the wand, broken, no spell wrought,
And Ariel vanished. Then the master sought
Where he had left a slave, and found a man.
And Prospero was afraid, expecting death
From one he thought mad with remembered wrong;
And cursed his broken wand and vagrant elf.
But Caliban said gently: “Of thy breath
Was born the spirit which has made me strong.
Caliban spares thee lest he shame himself.”