THE earth was made; yet still, though full of light And life beneath the conquering breath of God That rolled away the anarch of old Night, There was no ruler for the teeming sod; When to the glorious ministers that stand— Justice, Truth, Mercy—by his throne Eternally, he waved his awful hand, And spoke, as God can speak alone, "Shall we make man?" Then stern-eyed Justice cried, "Oh, make him not, for he in his vain pride, And base ingratitude to thee, the great First Cause, Will trample evermore upon thy laws!" When Truth—"Yes, make him not—his impious foot Thy temple pure will evermore pollute!" But Mercy, dropping on her knees,—her eyes Suffused with pity and all full of tears In that else tearless Paradise,— Gazed up, and cried, amid her sterner peers, "Make him, O God! I will watch o'er his head In all the troublous paths that he may tread!" Then God looked down upon the earth again, And as man started up from Eden's plain, He said (while Mercy, rising blessed and smiled)— "Now, ruler of thy planet, go, And with thy brother gently deal below!" | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...A FEW RULES FOR BEGINNERS by KATHERINE MANSFIELD CONTRA MORTEM: THE NOTHING II by HAYDEN CARRUTH CONTRA MORTEM: THE TREES by HAYDEN CARRUTH O DREAMS, O DESTINATIONS by CECIL DAY LEWIS STREET CRIES: 6. TO RICHARD WAGNER by SIDNEY LANIER |