Classic and Contemporary Poetry
PICTURES OF TRAVEL: THE BALTIC, PART 1: 12. PEACE, by HEINRICH HEINE Poet's Biography First Line: High in the heavens there stood the sun Last Line: "praised be jesus christ!" Subject(s): Holidays; Sea Voyages; Thanksgiving | ||||||||
HIGH in the heavens there stood the sun Cradled in snowy clouds, The sea was still, And musing I lay at the helm of the ship, Dreamily musing, -- and half in waking And half in slumber, I gazed upon Christ, The Saviour of man. In streaming and snowy garment He wander'd, giant-great, Over land and sea His head reach'd high to the heavens His hands he stretch'd out in blessing Over land and sea; And as a heart in his bosom Bore he the sun, The sun all ruddy and flaming, And the ruddy and flaming sunny-heart Shed its beams of mercy And its beauteous, bliss-giving light, Lighting and warming Over land and sea. Sounds of bells were solemnly drawing Here and there, like swans were drawing By rosy bands the gliding ship, And drew it sportively tow'rd the green shore, Where men were dwelling, in high and turreted O'erhanging town. O blessings of peace! how still the town! Hush'd was the hollow sound Of busy and sweltering trade, And through the clean and echoing streets Were passing men in white attire, Palm-branches bearing, And when two chanced to meet, They view'd each other with inward intelligence, And trembling, in love and sweet denial, Kiss'd on the forehead each other, And gazed up on high At the Saviour's sunny-heart, Which, glad and atoningly Beam'd down its ruddy blood, And three times blest, thus spake they: "Praised be Jesus Christ!" * * * * Couldst thou this vision have only imagined, What wouldst thou not give for it, My dearest friend! Thou who in head and loins art so weak, And so strong in thy faith, And the Trinity worship'st in Unity, And the dog and the cross and the paw Of thy lofty patroness daily kissest, And hast work'd thy way upward by canting As an Aulic Counsellor, Magistrate, And at last as a Government Counsellor In the pious town Where flourish both sand and religion, And the patient water of sacred Spree Washes souls and dilutes the tea -- Couldst thou this vision have only imagined, My dearest friend! Thou hadst borne it up high, to the market-place, Thy countenance pallid and blinking Had been dissolved in devotion and lowliness, And her Serene Highness, Enchanted and trembling with rapture, Had with thee sunk in prayer on the knee, And her eyes, beaming brightly, Had promised, by way of increase of salary, A hundred Prussian dollars sterling, And thou, with folded hands, wouldst have-stammer'd: "Praised be Jesus Christ!" | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE CULTURE OF GLASS by THYLIAS MOSS THE NIGHT BEFORE THANKSGIVING by NORMAN DUBIE OUR PRAYER OF THANKS by CARL SANDBURG THANKSGIVING DAY by LYDIA MARIA CHILD XAIPE: 65 by EDWARD ESTLIN CUMMINGS THE OL' TUNES by PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR A THANKSGIVING TO GOD [FOR HIS HOUSE] by ROBERT HERRICK |
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