I. A mystic dreamer, fierce and wild, Stood on the broad sea shore, He stamped his foot, and loudly laughed, And mocked the Ocean's roar. "Thou art a thing, and I a man!" He mocked the raging sea; He stretched his arm above its waves, "I'm mightier than thee!" A Voice uprose from the wild surge, In tones of fiercest wrath, "Mocker! One Hand alone," it said, "Can bar me in my path." "Pride goeth before a fall," it said, "Call to thee all thy might!" And Ocean swept the Man away Into eternal night. II. A king, with millions at his beck, Gazed down upon the sea, And, gazing, quoth, with haughty pride, "I'm mightier than thee." A Voice uprose from those fierce waves, And, full of bitter scorn, Its words were "Monarch, thou shall live "To curse that thou wert born!" The king's ships sailed upon the sea, Laden with strength and skill, And onward while they held their way, The sea was calm and still. They sailed around a mountain's base, The sun shone full and bright, Uprose the Ocean in his strength, The giant in his might. Granite the cliffs, the ships were frail, The Ocean's hand was strong; The ships were dashed to pieces there, The sea laughed loud and long. One vessel 'scaped to tell the news— "Thy fleet was wrecked last morn." And fearfully that haughty king Did curse that he were born. III. A pontiff stood upon the strand, A ruler of men's souls, Gazing upon the scroll which there Eternally unrolls; Speaking of thousand thousand years Passed since it found its birth, Teaching that proud assumption's claims Are mists upon the earth. He felt not this, for pride to him Was as his daily bread; And when the sea washed to his feet, The haughty pontiff said "Comest thou to kiss my foot, O wave? "In truth thou doest right; "Am I not greatest upon earth, "The first in all men's sight?" The sea shrank back in sudden wrath, And reared its bold, pure brow,— 'Twas but a moment—then it sank— "Look to it, pontiff, thou." That night the pontiff learnt his crown Had passed from him for e'er, Another swayed his sceptre now, Another held his chair. The pontiff sheltered in a cot, Weary and all forlorn; A dream came to him there at night, Another life at morn.— He tossed upon an angry sea, And death seemed dread and near; One calmly slept, the others there Crouched on the deck in fear. The lightning glared upon their eyes, The thunder shook the sky, The wind roared hoarsely, wild and deep, The sea rolled mountain high. "Pride goeth before a fall!" it said, "Self-righteous, shall ye stand?" The thunder of that Voice now broke The spell that bound each hand;— "O, help us, help us! must we die? "O, save us, master, save!" Then rose the Sleeper from the deck, His mein was calm and grave. The Master spoke in gentle tone, Lowly, and meek, and mild,— "Peace, and be still." The sea sank down, Obedient as a child.— The vision vanished, and the priest Awoke to greet the morn; Another heart throbbed in his breast, He felt no more forlorn. A humble mind and a spirit meek The priest had gained that hour, And of such worth these treasures were, He thought no more of power. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...SUMMER IN ENGLAND, 1914 by ALICE MEYNELL EPISTLE TO MRS. BLOUNT, WITH THE WORKS OF VOITURE by ALEXANDER POPE THE DREARY CHANGE by WALTER SCOTT CENTENNIAL HYMN by JOHN GREENLEAF WHITTIER MY MOTHER by FLORENCE R. ANDREWS A THREAD OF HAIR by CHRISTOPHER BANNISTER THE FELLOWSHIP by KATHARINE LEE BATES |