Poetry Explorer


Classic and Contemporary Poetry


AH! WHAT IS TRUTH? by LEWIS MORRIS (1833-1907)

First Line: AH! WHAT IS TRUTH? OUR FAILING EYES
Last Line: NEW SUNS UNNUMBERED LIGHT THE SKY.

AH! what is Truth? Our failing eyes
Pursue in vain the fleeting light;
Beyond the darkening hills it flies,
And ere we gain it, lo! the night.

And what is Knowledge? But a gleam
Which serves the encircling gloom to mark,
A little light, a feeble spark,
A phantasy, a bootless dream.

And what is Faith? A mounting fire
That through the black vault heaven-ward burns;
A force which struggles to aspire,
Then, sudden quenched, to earth returns.

The night draws near, the night is here,
Our feeble lanterns wane and die
But, on the illimitable sphere
New suns unnumbered light the sky.




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