VAIN wits and eyes Leave, and be wise: Abuse not, shun not holy fire, But with true tears wash off your mire. Tears and these flames will soon grow kind, And mix an eye-salve for the blind. Tears cleanse and supple without fail, And fire will purge your callous veil, Then comes the light! which when you spy, And see your nakedness thereby, Praise Him, Who dealt His gifts so free In tears to you, in fire to me. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...A FIESOLAN IDYL by WALTER SAVAGE LANDOR A WINTER WISH by ROBERT HINCKLEY MESSINGER EVEN SO by DANTE GABRIEL ROSSETTI THE BLACK MOUSQUETAIRE; A LEGEND OF FRANCE by RICHARD HARRIS BARHAM THE DROWNED HIDALGO DREAMS by WILLIAM ROSE BENET MISS MILLY O'NAIRE by WILLARD GROSVENOR BLEYER IMPULSIVE DIALOGUE by MAXWELL BODENHEIM THE GREAT ADVENTURE (WITH ACKNOWLEDGMENTS TO GEORGE MATTHEW ADAMS) by BERTON BRALEY |