| GIVE ALL TO LOVE Give all to love; Obey thy heart; Friends, kindred, days, Plans, credit, and the Muse, - Nothing refuse. �Tis a brave master; Let if have scope: Follow it utterly, Hope beyond hope: High and more high It dives into noon, With wing unspent, Untold intent; But it is a god, Knows its own path And the ourlets of the sky. It was never for the mean; It requireth courage stout, Souls above doubt, Valor unbending; It will reward, - They shall return More than they were, And ever ascending. Leave all for love; Yet, hear me, yet, One word more thy heart beloved, One pulse more firm endeavor, - Keep thee today, Tomorrow, forever, Of thy beloved. Cling with life to the maid; But when the surprise, First vague shadow of surmise Flits across her awareness young Of a joy apart from thee, Free be she, fancy-free; Nor thou detain her vesture�s hem, Nor the palest rose she flung From her summer diadem. Though thou loved her as thyself, Though her parting dims the day, Stealing grace from all alive; Heartily know, When half-gods go, The gods arrive. ------------------- CHARACTER The sun set, but set not her hope: Stars rose, her faith was earlier up: Fixed on the enormous galaxy, Deeper and older seemed her eye; And matched her sufferance sublime The taciturnity of time. She spoke, and words more soft than rain Brought the Age of Gold again: Her action won such reverence sweet As hid all the measure of the feat. ------------------- In the age of tops and toys, Wanting wisdom, void of right, Who shall nerve heroic boys To hazard all in Freedom�s fight, - Break sharply off their jolly games, Forsake their comrades gay And quiet proud homes and youthful dames For famine, toil and fray?? Yet on the nimble air benign Speed nimbler messages, That wait the breath of grace divine To hearts in sloth and ease. So nigh is grandeur to our dust, So near is God to man When Duty whispers low Thou must The Youth replies, I can. |
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