THE man of life upright, Whose guiltless heart is free From all dishonest deeds, Or thought of vanity; The man whose silent days In harmless joys are spent, Whom hopes cannot delude, Nor sorrow discontent; That man needs neither towers Nor armour for defence, Nor secret vaults to fly From thunder's violence: He only can behold With unaffrighted eyes The horrors of the deep And terrors of the skies. Thus, scorning all the cares That fate or fortune brings, He makes the heaven his book, His wisdom heavenly things; Good thoughts his only friends, His wealth a well-spent age, The earth his sober inn And quiet pilgrimage. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...TRUE UNTIL DEATH by ROBERT BURNS SOTTO VOCE; TO EDWARD THOMAS by WALTER JOHN DE LA MARE THE TEMPERAMENTS by EZRA POUND A WOMAN'S ANSWER by ADELAIDE ANNE PROCTER IN MEMORIAM A.H.H.: 30 by ALFRED TENNYSON THE HOSTESS' DAUGHTER by JOHANN LUDWIG UHLAND |