"Bring me men to match my mountains: Bring me men to match my plains: Men with empires in their purpose and new eras in their brains"

Sam Walter Foss’s stirring words summon a vision of human potential as vast and elevated as the American landscape itself. The call for “men to match my mountains” evokes more than mere physical strength; it implies a yearning for individuals whose spirit and character rise as high as the peaks themselves. Mountains have long symbolized challenges, aspiration, and majesty, qualities mirrored in those who dare to reach for greatness, undaunted by obstacles. Foss’s demand is not for ordinary people but for those with uncommon drive and courage, individuals capable of facing adversity and rising above it.

When he refers to “men to match my plains,” Foss extends his metaphor to include the expansive, fertile lands, spaces of openness, possibility, and growth. Matching the plains suggests a need for people whose vision is broad, who possess the patience and resilience required to cultivate possibility from vast, untamed stretches of life. The plains symbolize opportunity and perseverance, requiring not just ambition but a steady, enduring dedication.

The poet’s desire for “men with empires in their purpose and new eras in their brains” pushes this appeal to its highest level. These are people who think beyond their own lifetimes, whose ambitions yield not just personal success but lasting legacies, empires not of land, perhaps, but of influence, innovation, or progress. “New eras in their brains” highlights the necessity of visionary thought, the ability to imagine realities that do not yet exist, to be pioneers not just physically but intellectually and morally.

Altogether, Foss’s words assert that progress and greatness demand individuals whose goals and ideas are as grand as the geography they inhabit, people driven by purpose, resilient in the face of hardship, and unafraid to shape the future by the sheer force of their will and imagination.