The Answering-Drum

Theodore Roosevelt's swashbuckling account of the Spanish-American War opens with an untitled poem by the American writer, Bret Harte.  In three verses the major themes of American foreign policy during the Age of Imperialism are well presented.  The seemingly inevitable inclusion of America with the established European Powers.  The great price of imperial ambition.  The moral confusion.  And finally, the critical aspect which is so often ignored: the profound gloom.

For an important comparison, consider Kipling's 'White Man's Burden,' a work which is known to have influenced Roosevelt.  There is a strikingly similar imperial vision.