I heard this poem on NPR this morning and thought I'd share it with the rest of you. John Greenleaf Whittier may not be one of my favorite poets, if only because I know few of his poems. He did, however, write one of my favorite poems of all time, "Maud Muller". Anyway, here is his tribute to the American election day tradition. Keep in mind that he wrote this poem before the Civil war, JG Whittier was strongly against slavery.

"The Poor Voter on Election Day."
by John Greenleaf Whittier


To-day, of all the weary year,
A king of men am I.
To-day, alike are great and small,
The nameless and the known;
My palace is the people's hall,
The ballot-box my throne!
The rich is level with the poor,
The weak is strong to-day;
And sleekest broadcloth counts no more
Than homespun frock of gray.
To-day let pomp and vain pretence
My stubborn right abide;
I set a plain man's common sense
Against the pedant's pride.
The wide world has not wealth to buy
The power in my right hand!