8. Instances he must-simply recognize? Oh, more than so!— must, with a learner's zeal, Make doubly prominent, twice emphasize, By added touches that reveal The god in babe's disguise. 9. Oh, he knows what defeat means, and the rest! Failure, disgrace, he flings them you to test, His triumph, in eternity Too plainly manifest! 10. Whence, judge if he learn forthwith what the wind Means in its moaning - by the happy, prompt, Instinctive of youth, I mean way for kind Calm years, exacting their accompt Of pain, mature the mind: 11. And some midsummer morning, at the lull 12. Then, when the wind begins among the vines, So low, so low, what shall it mean but this? "Here is the change beginning, here the lines Circumscribe beauty, set to bliss The limit time assigns." 13. Nothing can be as it has been before; 14. Simple? Why this is the old woe o' the world; Tune, to whose rise and fall we live and die. Rise with it, then! Rejoice that man is hurled From change to change unceasingly. His soul's wings never furled! 15. That's a new question; still replies the fact, Nothing endures: the wind moans, saying so ; We moan in acquiescence: there's life's pact, Perhaps probation- do I know? God does: endure his act! 16. Only, for man, how bitter not to grave On his soul's hands' palms one fair, good, wise thing Just as he grasped it! For himself, death's wave; O'er all he'd sink to save. VII. AMONG THE ROCKS. 1. Он, good, gigantic smile o' the brown old earth, This autumn morning! How he sets his bones To bask i' the sun, and thrusts out knees and feet For the ripple to run over in its mirth; Listening the while, where on the heap of stones The white breast of the sea-lark twitters sweet. 2. That is the doctrine, simple, ancient, true; Such is life's trial, as old earth smiles and knows. If you loved only what were worth your love, Love were clear gain, and wholly well for you: Make the low nature better by your throes! Give earth yourself, go up for gain above! VIII. BESIDE THE DRAWING-BOARD. 1. "As like as a Hand to another Hand": Whoever said that foolish thing, Could not have studied to understand The counsels of God in fashioning, Out of the infinite love of His heart, This Hand, whose beauty I praise, apart From the world of wonder left to praise, If I tried to learn the other ways Of love, in its skill, or love, in its power. "As like as a Hand to another Hand": Who said that, never took his stand, Found and followed, like me, an hour The beauty in this, how free, how fine To fear, almost, of the limit-line! As I looked at this, and learned and drew, Drew and learned, and looked again, While fast the happy minutes flew, |