Awake! awake! For life is sweet: Awake! awake! New hopes to greet. The shadows are fleeting, The substance is sure; The joys thou art meeting Shall ever endure. Awake! awake! For twilight now That veiled the lake Where dark woods bow, In moonlight resplendent Is passing away; For brightness ascendant Turns night into day. Oh, listen! yet listen! The moonlight song Where still waters glisten Is floating along: A melodious ripple of silver sound, In golden rhythm of light-bars bound, Linked with the loveliness all around. A song of hope, That soars beyond The farthest scope Of a vision fond; While the loneliest silence of solemn night, And the depth of shadow beneath our feet, Only make the song more sweet, -- Only make the sacred light Yet more tender, yet more bright; And song and radiance both entwining In radiant singing and musical shining Float on and on Till the night is gone, Ever for rest Far too blest. Then wake, then wake From slumberous leisure! Arise and take Thy truest pleasure! A life is before thee which cannot decay; A glimpse and an echo are given to-day Of glory and music not far away. Take the bliss that is offered thee: Hope on, hope ever, and thou shalt be Blest for aye! Once more a pause is made: While deeper still the silence, deeper yet the shade. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...TO MY FATHER by WILLIAM SYDNEY GRAHAM THERE IS NOTHING STRANGE by ARCHILOCHUS CHEMISTRY OF A POEM by CAROLYN AUSTIN PLEA FOR TOLERANCE by MARGARET E. BRUNER SONNETS ON EMINENT CHARACTERS: 12. TO LORD STANHOPE by SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE |