Upton Sinclair, ed. (1878–1968). rn The Cry for Justice: An Anthology of the Literature of Social Protest. 1915.

Portrait of an American

Untermeyer, Louis

Louis Untermeyer

(American poet, born 1885)

HE slobbers over sentimental plays

And sniffles over sentimental songs.

He tells you often how he sadly longs

For the ideals of the dear old days.

In gatherings he is the first to raise

His voice against “our country’s shameful wrongs.”

He storms at greed. His hard, flat tone prolongs

The hymns and mumbled platitudes of praise.

I heard him in his office Friday past.

“Look here,” he said, “their talk is all a bluff;

You mark my words, this thing will never last.

Let them walk out—they’ll come back quick enough.

We’ll have all hands at work—and working fast!

How do they think we’re running this—for love?”