Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, MEDITATION, by EDWARD HARRY WILLIAM MEYERSTEIN


Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

MEDITATION, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: Diving within myself, I found
Last Line: But fell, and vanished into sleep.
Alternate Author Name(s): Meyerstein, E. H. W.
Subject(s): Books; Oxford University; Plato (428-348 B.c.); Spinoza, Baruch (1632-1677); Reading


DIVING within myself, I found
A little plot of garden ground,
Where ev'ry book that I had read
Was growing from a single bed.
The first I saw, whose wond'ring face
Burned like a sun diffusing grace,
Was Plato; and upon his right
Spinoza shed a calmer light.
The rest, in reverent array,
Ordered their colours either way;
Some proudly raised, and some so mean
As grudged a petal to be seen.
Herein was many a noble thought,
Too rashly glozed and rated nought,
With alien fancies overgrown,
That I had fondly deemed my own;
And fabled errors, ta'en for wise
By childish and untutored eyes.
Which while I viewed, a cloud came by,
And melted in the sunny sky
Into such pure rejoicing rain
That ev'ry plant seemed born again,
And shone like fountains in the air;
But most the twain that governed there.
Whereon I marvelled there should be
So fair a world of truth in me,
And almost did persuade my soul
The part was greater than the whole.
Yet could I ne'er an instance glean
Of what this ecstasy should mean,
Save only -- that the orbs of truth,
Who so disposed my careless youth,
Would prosper now a race begun
Towards a yet diviner sun.
But while I did this theme pursue
The light had wholly fled from view
And now each flow'r upon the plot
Appeared no more than if 'twere not.
Back to myself I strove to creep;
But fell, and vanished into sleep.





Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!


Other Poems of Interest...
Home: PoetryExplorer.net