Of the moulting thrush,
Dance upon the mushrooms,
Dive beneath the sea,
Or anything else remarkable,
Thou must follow me!
From Diversions of the Echo Club, by Bayard Taylor.
This is a fair imitation of some of Emerson’s early poems. “Brahma” is, however, the most frequently parodied, although no parody approaches the mystery of the original.
BRAHMA.
If the red slayer thinks he slays,
Or if the slain think he is slain.