I. HIS STAR. THE Century was young -- the month was May -- The spacious East was kindled with a light That lent a sudden glory to the night, And a new star began its upward way Toward the high splendor of the perfect day: With pure white flame, inexorably bright, It reached the souls of men -- no stain so slight As to escape its all-revealing ray. When countless voices cried, "The Star has set!" And through the lands there surged a sea of pain, Was it Death's triumph -- victory of Woe? -- Nay! There are lights the sky may not forget: When suns, and moons, and souls shall rise again, In the New Life's wide East that star shall glow. II. THE POET OF HUMAN LIFE. SILENCE and Night sequestered thee in vain! Oblivion's threats thou proudly couldst defy. Thou art not dead -- such great souls do not die: One small world's range no longer could constrain That strong-winged spirit of its freedom fain: New stars, new lives, thy fearless quest would try. Our baffled vision may not soar so high -- We mourn, as loss, thine infinite, great gain. Yet, keen of sight, to whom men's souls lay bare, Stripped clean of shams, unclothed of all disguise, Revealed to thee as if at each soul's birth Thou hadst been nigh to stamp it foul or fair -- Why shouldst thou seek new schools to make thee wise Who shared Heaven's secrets whilst thou walked on earth? | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE ROSY BOSOM'D HOURS by COVENTRY KERSEY DIGHTON PATMORE MONNA INNOMINATA, A SONNET OF SONNETS: 13 by CHRISTINA GEORGINA ROSSETTI THE DEATH-BED by SIEGFRIED SASSOON THE WITCHES' FROLIC by RICHARD HARRIS BARHAM LILIES: 8 by GEORGE BARLOW (1847-1913) THE COMPLETE MISANTHROPIST by MORRIS GILBERT BISHOP THE WANDERER: 5. IN HOLLAND: THE FUGITIVE by EDWARD ROBERT BULWER-LYTTON |