Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, ALL IN ALL, by EDITH BLAND NESBIT


Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

ALL IN ALL, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: When all the night is horrible with clamour
Last Line: Of all the days to be.
Alternate Author Name(s): Nesbit, E.; Bland, Mrs. Hubert
Subject(s): Freedom; Socialism; Liberty


WHEN all the night is horrible with clamour
Of voiceless curses darker than the night,
When light of sun there is not, neither starshine,
Nor any beacon on the hill of Right,
Shine, O thou Light of Life, upon our pathway --
Freedom, be thou our light!
Since all life's ways are difficult and dreary,
And false steps echo through eternity,
And there is naught to lean on as we journey
By paths not smooth as downward paths would be,
We have no other help -- we need no other;
Freedom, we lean on thee!
The slave's base murmur and the threats of tyrants,
The voice of cowards who cringe and cry 'Retreat,'
The whisper of the world, 'Come where power calls thee!'
The whisper of the flesh, 'Let life be sweet.'
Since all these with thy divine commanding;
Guide thou thy children's feet!
For thee, for thee we bear the cross, the banner,
For thee are all our battles fought and won;
For thee was every prayer we ever uttered,
For thee has every deed of ours been done;
To thee we press -- to thee, triumphant splendour,
O Freedom, lead us on!
Where thou shalt lead we do not fear to follow.
Thou hast our hearts; we follow them in thee.
Spirit of Light, whatever thou shalt show us,
Strong in the faith, we shall not fear to see;
We reach to thee through all the waves of darkness
Of all the days to be.








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