Leaves of Grass

To a Certain Civilian

  Did you ask dulcet rhymes from me?
  Did you seek the civilian’s peaceful and languishing rhymes?
  Did you find what I sang erewhile so hard to follow?
  Why I was not singing erewhile for you to follow, to understand—nor
      am I now;
  (I have been born of the same as the war was born,
  The drum-corps’ rattle is ever to me sweet music, I love well the
      martial dirge,
  With slow wail and convulsive throb leading the officer’s funeral;)
  What to such as you anyhow such a poet as I? therefore leave my works,
  And go lull yourself with what you can understand, and with piano-tunes,
  For I lull nobody, and you will never understand me.