Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE HOME ALTAR, by LEWIS MORRIS (1833-1907)


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE HOME ALTAR, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: Why should we seek at all to gain
Last Line: This duteous worship mild, and reasonable fear.
Subject(s): Public Worship; Church Attendance


WHY should we seek at all to gain
By vigils, and in pain,
By lonely life and empty heart,
To set a soul apart
Within a cloistered cell,
For whom the precious, homely hearth would serve as well?

There, with the early breaking morn,
Ere quite the day is born,
The lustral waters flow serene,
And each again grows clean;
From sleep, as from a tomb,
Born to another dawn of joy, and hope, and doom.

There through the sweet and toilsome day,
To labour is to pray;
There love with kindly beaming eyes
Prepares the sacrifice;
And voice and innocent smile
Of childhood do our cheerful liturgies beguile.

There, at his chaste and frugal feast,
Love sitteth as a Priest;
And with mild eyes and mien sedate,
His deacons stand and wait;
And round the holy table
Paten and chalice range in order serviceable.

And when ere night, the vespers said,
Low lies each weary head,
What giveth He who gives them sleep,
But a brief death less deep?
Or what the fair dreams given
But ours who, daily dying, dream a happier heaven?

Then not within a cloistered wall
Will we expend our days;
But dawns that break and eves that fall
Shall bring their dues of praise.
This best befits a Ruler always near,
This duteous worship mild, and reasonable fear.





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