Classic and Contemporary Poetry
DAWN, by AMELIA JOSEPHINE BURR First Line: Green bud of dawn Last Line: The seal of paradise. Subject(s): Dawn; Sunrise | ||||||||
GREEN bud of dawn That shyly in the east now dost unfold The glowing garments of thy heart of gold, I look to thee across the shadowy lawn Hoary with dew. Purged by clean slumber as a soul by death I lift my brow to meet thy blessed breath. All hail, thou messenger of Him who saith, "Lo, I make all things new." THE early breeze Quickens to sudden whispering all the trees; The orchard yeomen in their sturdy ranks, The slender cedars halted on the flanks Of every hill, the copse's quivering green -- Even the height serene Of the old hemlocks is a moment stirred As if among their aged boughs they heard The magic murmur of that master-word Thou daily speakst man's weariness to cheer, O Dawn -- would man but hear. A SIGN from Heaven long ago men sought, And he to whom their questionings were brought Marvelled in sadness; how should even he Give signs to them who had no eyes to see? Dear God, how blindly do thy children trace This marvellous earth-manuscript of thine! Weary of study, we are baffled yet By the great lessons for our learning set, And clamour eagerly with lifted face To Heaven for a sign. THERE shall no sign be given, For we are hedged with portents undivined. God waits until the fetters of the mind At last be riven. And as we grope Amid the growing glory, we behold The Dawn's recurrent miracle unfold The heavenly word for hope. The clouds of yesterday, Although they smother all the blue, avail No whit the mounting of the sun to stay, Who like a strong young king in golden mail Leaps up behind the gray. Earth, air, and sea may rage in mortal strife But calmly certain, over death and life Rises the still, unconquerable Day. And so shall Man arise From sullen-clotted clouds of past mistake, Sorrow and disappointment, and awake With some indomitable dawn, to break The seal of Paradise. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THIS MORNING, GOD by LAURE-ANNE BOSSELAAR BURNING DAWN by HAYDEN CARRUTH DAWN by GEORGIA DOUGLAS JOHNSON IN THE GARDEN AT THE DAWN HOUR by EDGAR LEE MASTERS EARLY RISER by NAOMI SHIHAB NYE WORDS WHEN WE NEED THEM by NAOMI SHIHAB NYE A LYNMOUTH WIDOW by AMELIA JOSEPHINE BURR |
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