Who is the 'Devon ghost' that unbarred the Golden Gate?

This refers to Sir Francis Drake, the Elizabethan explorer and privateer born in Devon, England. In 1579, Drake sailed along the California coast and claimed the land for England, naming it Nova Albion. Noyes suggests that he symbolically opened the route to the Pacific—"unbarring" the Golden Gate—long before the strait near San Francisco received its famous name.

Why does Noyes call Washington 'England's mightiest son'?

It’s a bold compliment from an English poet. Noyes suggests that Washington, despite his fight against British rule, was influenced by English culture, language, and political traditions — and that England should take pride in him as its finest achievement, even if America does. This also serves to connect the two nations, hinting that their histories are more intertwined than either typically acknowledges.

What is the 'old cracked bell' in the final stanza?

It is the Liberty Bell, the iconic bell in Philadelphia that rang for the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Its crack has become one of the most recognizable symbols in American history. Noyes uses it as the means by which Lincoln's ghost will awaken a slumbering nation — suggesting that the original promise of American liberty still holds the power to inspire people, even if the bell itself is damaged.

How does Noyes treat Native Americans in the poem?

The stanza about the "Red Man" employs language from Noyes's time that now feels outdated and offensive. The term "wreck of a dying race" embodies the common colonial belief of the early 1900s that Indigenous peoples were vanishing. However, Noyes portrays the figure with a dignity that contrasts with the poem's otherwise celebratory tone: the Indigenous man observes the parade of European-American history with a mix of scorn and mystery, as if the true ghosts are the settlers, not him. This creates a more nuanced image than the surrounding language implies.

What is the poem's rhyme scheme and does it matter?

Each stanza uses an ABABCC rhyme scheme — four alternating rhymes followed by a closing couplet. The couplet at the end of each stanza serves as a punchline, delivering the argument with a decisive snap. This structure gives the poem a ballad-like flow that matches its theme: a journey through history, stanza by stanza, leading up to a climax.

Is this poem pro-American or critical of America?

Both, in a way that feels genuine rather than contradictory. Noyes clearly admires America — he refers to Washington as England's greatest son, holds Lincoln in high regard, and ends on a note of hope instead of condemnation. Yet, he also challenges a complacent national forgetfulness. The poem asserts: you possess a magnificent, terrible history, and it's important for you to remember it.

Why does Noyes use so many rhetorical questions?

Because the poem is set up like a debate. The epigraph presents the opposing argument — "there are no ghosts in America" — and Noyes spends each stanza challenging that claim. The rhetorical questions ("What? No ghosts in Salem town?") capture the rhythm of someone incredulous, persistently seeking a response. This gives the poem an energetic and slightly confrontational feel, which fits the topic well.

The Annotated Edition

GHOSTS OF THE NEW WORLD by Alfred Noyes

Summary, meaning, line-by-line analysis & FAQ.

Read aloud in ~2 minOpen reading mode →

Alfred Noyes strongly contests the notion that America is too new and modern to have ghosts.

Poet: Alfred Noyes
Era: Modernist (1922)
Themes: identity, memory, mortality

The PoemFull text

GHOSTS OF THE NEW WORLD

Alfred Noyes, 1922

"_There are no ghosts in America._" There are no ghosts, you say, To haunt her blaze of light; No shadows in her day, No phantoms in her night. Columbus' tattered sail Has passed beyond our hail. What? On that magic coast, Where Raleigh fought with fate, Or where that Devon ghost Unbarred the Golden Gate, No dark, strange, ear-ringed men Beat in from sea again? No ghosts in Salem town With silver buckled shoon? No lovely witch to drown Or burn beneath the moon? Not even a whiff of tea, On Boston's glimmering quay. O, ghostly Spanish walls, Where brown Franciscans glide, Is there no voice that calls Across the Great Divide, To pilgrims on their way Along the Santa Fe? Then let your Pullman cars Go roaring to the West, Till, watched by lonelier stars, The cactus lifts its crest. There, on that painted plain, One ghost will rise again. Majestic and forlorn, Wreck of a dying race, The Red Man, half in scorn, Shall raise his haughty face, Inscrutable as the sky, To watch our ghosts go by. What? Is earth dreaming still? Shall not the night disgorge The ghosts of Bunker Hill The ghosts of Valley Forge, Or, England's mightiest son, The ghost of Washington? No ghosts where Lincoln fell? No ghosts for seeing eyes? I know an old cracked bell Shall make ten million rise When one immortal ghost Calls to the slumbering host.

§01Quick summary

What this poem is about

Alfred Noyes strongly contests the notion that America is too new and modern to have ghosts. He guides the reader through centuries of American history—explorers, witch trials, revolution, westward expansion, and the near-erasure of Indigenous peoples—to illustrate that the continent is indeed haunted, though not in the typical sense. The poem concludes with a powerful image: the ghost of Lincoln and the toll of the Liberty Bell urging a slumbering nation to return to its own ideals.

§02Themes

Recurring themes

§03Line by line

Stanza by stanza, with notes

There are no ghosts, you say, / To haunt her blaze of light;
Editor's note
Noyes begins by referencing the dismissive assertion that America is too bright, new, and forward-looking to have ghosts. He quickly establishes the argument he plans to dismantle, stanza by stanza. The word "blaze" serves a dual purpose: it evokes the idea of electric modernity while also implying something that incinerates the past.
What? On that magic coast, / Where Raleigh fought with fate,
Editor's note
The first counter-punch. Sir Walter Raleigh's ill-fated Roanoke colony on the Carolina coast is brought up as evidence that the land is already filled with English spirits. The "Devon ghost" in the next line alludes to Sir Francis Drake, also hailing from Devon, whose explorations reached the Pacific — Noyes attributes to him the symbolic act of "unbarring" the Golden Gate long before San Francisco came into being.
No ghosts in Salem town / With silver buckled shoon?
Editor's note
"Shoon" is an old-fashioned plural of "shoes," which gives the stanza a vintage, ballad-like vibe that matches the theme. The mention of Salem's witch trials from 1692 brings to mind the image of the "lovely witch" who was burned or drowned beneath the moon—this striking image intentionally blends beauty with cruelty. The stanza wraps up with a ghostly "whiff of tea" in the harbour from the Boston Tea Party, creating a mix of wit and eeriness.
O, ghostly Spanish walls, / Where brown Franciscans glide,
Editor's note
Noyes turns his attention to the American Southwest and its Spanish colonial history — the adobe missions constructed by Franciscan friars along the coasts of California and New Mexico. The "Great Divide" refers to the Continental Divide, while the Santa Fe Trail guided countless westward migrants past these remnants. The stanza questions whether the echoes of that earlier Catholic, Spanish-speaking America still resonate with travelers journeying through.
Then let your Pullman cars / Go roaring to the West,
Editor's note
Pullman cars were the luxury sleeper carriages of the transcontinental railroad — the pinnacle of modern American travel in Noyes's time. He employs them ironically: even the latest technology, racing westward beneath "lonelier stars," can't escape the past. The cactus lifting its crest stands as a timeless image amid the clamor of the train.
Majestic and forlorn, / Wreck of a dying race,
Editor's note
This stanza of the poem is the most powerful. The "Red Man" — a term reflective of Noyes's time — appears as a ghost that can't be escaped or rationalized. The phrase "wreck of a dying race" captures the colonial attitude of the early twentieth century, yet Noyes crafts an image of dignity and judgment: the Indigenous figure lifts a "haughty face" and observes the settlers' ghosts drifting by, as enigmatic as the sky. The power dynamic shifts subtly — it's the newcomers who become the spectacle.
What? Is earth dreaming still? / Shall not the night disgorge
Editor's note
Noyes circles back to his rhetorical questions, this time focusing on the Revolutionary War. Bunker Hill and Valley Forge stand out as two of the most significant and costly battles of the American Revolution. The phrase "England's mightiest son" is particularly striking — Noyes, being English himself, refers to Washington as the greatest figure England has ever produced, despite the fact that Washington fought against England. It's a generous compliment that transcends the Atlantic.
No ghosts where Lincoln fell? / No ghosts for seeing eyes?
Editor's note
The final stanza reaches a powerful climax. Lincoln's assassination at Ford's Theatre in 1865 serves as the last historical anchor. The "old cracked bell" clearly refers to the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, its well-known crack symbolizing a nation that is fractured yet still resonates. Noyes concludes with a sense of prophetic urgency: he suggests that Lincoln's ghost will ring that bell, stirring ten million Americans from their comfortable complacency.

§04Tone & mood

How this poem feels

The tone is both argumentative and spirited—this poem has a clear point to make, and Noyes relishes the challenge. He employs rhetorical questions as a debater would, with each stanza offering fresh evidence. Beneath the argument, there’s a warmth and sincere admiration for America. The final stanzas transition from playful to solemn as the significance of Lincoln and the Liberty Bell resonates. An English poet reflecting on American history, Noyes avoids sounding patronizing or overly sentimental—he comes across as someone who truly cares for the place and approaches it with respect.

§05Symbols & metaphors

Symbols & metaphors

The cracked Liberty Bell: The Liberty Bell's well-known crack has turned it into a symbol of a nation that isn't perfect but still has the ability to resonate. In the final stanza, it serves as the means by which Lincoln's ghost awakens a slumbering America—broken, certainly, but still capable of making a significant sound.
The Pullman car: The sleek, modern railroad carriage reflects America’s belief in progress and its tendency to push forward without glancing back. Noyes employs this irony: the faster and further west you go, the more you delve into history, rather than escaping from it.
The Red Man on the painted plain: The Indigenous figure on the desert plain is the poem's most haunting ghost—not due to his death, but because he has been treated as though he were. He observes the parade of European-American history with a mix of detachment and disdain, flipping the typical colonial perspective.
Columbus' tattered sail: The worn, ragged sail of Columbus's ship signifies that the age of discovery has ended — but "passed beyond our hail" implies it hasn't vanished, just drifted out of reach. The tattered sail reflects both the passage of time and the price paid for that initial voyage.
The ghost of Washington: Noyes refers to Washington as "England's mightiest son," which highlights how America's founding ideals are rooted in English tradition, despite their break from English rule. Washington's legacy embodies the revolutionary promise that Noyes worries modern Americans are overlooking.
Salem's witch: The "lovely witch" who was burned or drowned under the moon reflects the darker side of Puritan America — a legacy of fear, persecution, and mob justice that is just as much a part of the nation's origins as any heroic founding myth.

§06Historical context

Historical context

Alfred Noyes wrote this poem in the early twentieth century, during a time when he spent a lot of time in the United States, giving lectures at Princeton and traveling extensively. At that time, Britain and America were engaged in a complex cultural dialogue about heritage: Americans took pride in their modernity and often dismissed the Old World's fixation on history, while British writers pointed out that the New World had its own dark past to confront. Noyes was a widely read poet—best known for "The Highwayman"—who preferred traditional meter and rhyme even as modernism was steering poetry in a different direction. This poem fits right into his style: it has a ballad-like structure, a clear argument, and a knack for striking imagery. The epigraph, presented as a quote, frames the entire poem as a response.

§07FAQ

Questions readers ask

Noyes contends that America isn't a young, ghost-free nation; rather, it's among the most haunted places on the planet. He draws on historical figures from Columbus to Lincoln to illustrate how the continent is rich with memory, violence, and unresolved issues. The poem challenges a version of American exceptionalism that views history as a phenomenon exclusive to older countries.

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GHOSTS OF THE NEW WORLD by Alfred Noyes

GHOSTS OF THE NEW WORLD

What this poem is about

Recurring themes

Stanza by stanza, with notes

How this poem feels

Symbols & metaphors

Historical context

Questions readers ask

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