Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, GRIEF, by JAMES HERVEY HYSLOP


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

GRIEF, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: In toils and anguish, made betimes
Last Line: And opes sublimer deeps of faith.
Subject(s): Faith; Grief; Belief; Creed; Sorrow; Sadness


IN toils and anguish, made betimes
By firm and ruthless blows of fate,
It is the avarice insatiate of death
That chills the bloom of happiness,
The blissful peace of faith and hope,
And makes it hard to trust in God,
Whose fatal hand had marred the joys
Of life and love. To pray for light
In such a fate seemed sacrilege.

Around me were the wrecks of hope.
The sun had set on all the days
Of guarded love and helping strength,
And left a mourning Hecuba,
In sorrow's pain and widow's weeds.
The nightly pall of darkness fell
On every gleam of peace and joy,
And even God, behind the clouds,
Would hardly deign to give me light,
Or cheer the lonely days of grief.

But when I found the knowledge clear,
That I could meet again the troth
Of early days and joys, I rose
On stronger feet and gladly trod
The path of patience and of peace.
The wider sense of truth and love
Arose in dawning brilliance then,
With that effulgent glory bright,
That justifies the ways of God,
And opes sublimer deeps of faith.





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