Master of human smiles and human moan, Of strange soul-searchings, raptures, agonies, Passions that ask for bread and find a stone, Hopes hungered into madness like the seas, And Pity dumb with pleading like the wind: Prophet art thou of that mysterious tongue Wherewith our ancient Mother, deaf and blind, Her griefs immortal and her joys hath sung In the unheeding ears of human-kind. O Master, thine a special meed of praise From me whose heart is all thy sweet West's own, Hushed with the dew that dreams on orchard sprays With clover scents about the woodlands blown. Full oft in those enchanted solitudes, When fairy fingers ring the flowery bells, And make a thousand mystic interludes To the slow weaving of Hymettian spells, Cool-couched on mossy bank I've floated down The fair, swift currents of unnumbered dreams, Plucked Amaranth blossoms by Elysian streams And kissed the starry skirts of Dian's gown. And there, in commune with thy mighty heart, I saw how life's light wreath of summer roses Remorseless Fate's inveterate frown discloses, And sullen Death's intolerable dart: Saw man's last hope beneath a soulless sky To live for Love, and for Love's sake to die. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE HUDSON by GEORGE SIDNEY HELLMAN ROMAN ANEMONES by MATHILDE BLIND SONNETS FOR NEW YORK CITY: 2. A POLITICAL 'BOSS' by ANNA HEMPSTEAD BRANCH AN ASSURANCE by NICHOLAS BRETON THE TWO GRAVES by WILLIAM CULLEN BRYANT CRISPUS ATTUCKS by OLIVA WARD BUSH TOWARDS DEMOCRACY: PART 3. INSCRIBED ON A MUMMY CASE, BRITISH MUSEUM by EDWARD CARPENTER |