 | Camera obscura |  |
Beside the sea of terrible crystal rent
With fire, and cloven with a path for thunder,
Whose upper unsunned Deep the Firmament
Parts from this Deep of ours that lieth under,
I stood, and saw 'twixt Earth and Heaven a wonder.
With fire, and cloven with a path for thunder,
Whose upper unsunned Deep the Firmament
Parts from this Deep of ours that lieth under,
I stood, and saw 'twixt Earth and Heaven a wonder.
Thick as the flakes that on an icy blast
Borne onwards darken all the wintry day,
So swept innumerable spirits past,
Borne onwards darken all the wintry day,
So swept innumerable spirits past,
Of Death and Time the unregarded prey,
And met my gaze with aspects unaghast,
Yet awful in a steadfast surmise, grey,
And met my gaze with aspects unaghast,
Yet awful in a steadfast surmise, grey,
In mute expectancy that drave the soul
Forward; as when a courser with wet flank
And straining eyeballs nears upon the goal,
Forward; as when a courser with wet flank
And straining eyeballs nears upon the goal,
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So sped they like a sword-glare swift, and blank,
As its blue flash, of loves, griefs, hatreds, pains;
Swept thick as leaves that in the wood-walks dank
As its blue flash, of loves, griefs, hatreds, pains;
Swept thick as leaves that in the wood-walks dank
Whirl through the Autumn's heavy winds and rains,
While round their place no grieving memory clings,
Lost 'mid Earth's indistinguishable stains;
While round their place no grieving memory clings,
Lost 'mid Earth's indistinguishable stains;
No vail was rent when they departed, Kings
And Captains, bondsmen, freemen,—sometime fair
Proud women, shook to dust with other things
And Captains, bondsmen, freemen,—sometime fair
Proud women, shook to dust with other things
That life hath done with,—conquerors whose cold stare
Still blights the desert; these were the obscure
And silent dead, that lived and took their share
Still blights the desert; these were the obscure
And silent dead, that lived and took their share
In sunlight till it faded—rich and poor,
Of men rejected, chosen, old and young,
They passed, and with them silence rode secure
Of men rejected, chosen, old and young,
They passed, and with them silence rode secure
On the thick air, until a Fiery Tongue
Sate flickering on the murky gloom unstirred,
And, like the snapping of a chord o'erstrung,
Sate flickering on the murky gloom unstirred,
And, like the snapping of a chord o'erstrung,
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A voice rose sharp and vibrant; then I heard
And knew that other spirits passed, elect
Of God, the few to whom He gives the Word
And knew that other spirits passed, elect
Of God, the few to whom He gives the Word
No agonies can silence, no neglect
Can stifle: whether it be stranded, tossed
Of winds, or all its golden freightage wrecked
Can stifle: whether it be stranded, tossed
Of winds, or all its golden freightage wrecked
On alien shores unheeding, never lost
That gift, although our Earth be deaf and old,
Nor fully come the Spirit's Pentecost.
That gift, although our Earth be deaf and old,
Nor fully come the Spirit's Pentecost.
And who were these that in the Spring-time cold
Like birds among the leafless branches clung,
Calling the Summer with their voices bold,
Like birds among the leafless branches clung,
Calling the Summer with their voices bold,
Till sudden heat o'ertook them as they sung
And hid them in green silence? Some in pride
And joy shook out their music; these died young,
And hid them in green silence? Some in pride
And joy shook out their music; these died young,
And in the heart of youth were glorified.
And some had stored in one beloved breast
Their quiet tune! because this world is wide
And some had stored in one beloved breast
Their quiet tune! because this world is wide
They made within a single heart their nest;
While others like the Sun-god stood, and drave
Their golden arrows on a high behest,
While others like the Sun-god stood, and drave
Their golden arrows on a high behest,
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Until their winged shafts in sunder clave
The stony rock, and o'er the desert sand
Glad streams brake forth to freshen and to save.
The stony rock, and o'er the desert sand
Glad streams brake forth to freshen and to save.
So unto these, through might of lip and hand
Vowed to a life-long music, it was given—
Listen to me if thou wouldst understand—
Vowed to a life-long music, it was given—
Listen to me if thou wouldst understand—
To pass unto their doom with spirits shriven.
Ere yet their lips through blessedness were mute,
Or locked in long despair, 'twixt Earth and Heaven
I heard them thus Life's loss and gain compute:
Ere yet their lips through blessedness were mute,
Or locked in long despair, 'twixt Earth and Heaven
I heard them thus Life's loss and gain compute:
| Camera obscura | |