The Judgement of the Flood by John A. Heraud. A New Edition. Revised and Re-Arranged |
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| 2. |
| III. |
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| IV. |
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 | The Judgement of the Flood |  |
II.
Yet cheer thee, Heart. Keep merry chime;
Howe'er absurd, howe'er sublime,
The strife, the struggle may appear,
Let saints applaud, or sinners jeer;
Something is done that had not been,
But for thy action on the scene.
What once has been must always be:
Throb on, then—while there's pulse in thee.
Thy strings be harp-strings—scatter free
Their music over land, and sea.
—Up to the Heavens, down to the Hells,
One Harmony the Chorus swells,
Wherein bears each his proper part:
Then be not downcast; cheer thee, Heart.
Howe'er absurd, howe'er sublime,
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Let saints applaud, or sinners jeer;
Something is done that had not been,
But for thy action on the scene.
What once has been must always be:
Throb on, then—while there's pulse in thee.
Thy strings be harp-strings—scatter free
Their music over land, and sea.
—Up to the Heavens, down to the Hells,
One Harmony the Chorus swells,
Wherein bears each his proper part:
Then be not downcast; cheer thee, Heart.
Nought that is done in vain is done;
Each mite a world, each world a sun;
Nought so minute, but in its border
Resides an Everlasting Order,
A System, an Intelligence
From centre to circumference;
The tinièst as infinite
As the Titanic to the sight,
A universe of law, and truth,
Still fresh as in its dawn of youth,
Full of beauty, full of power,
Creating both from hour to hour;
Declaring each what all inherit,
The Strength of the Poetic Spirit:
Whence 'tis each planet to the other
Sings, and is sung to, like a brother;
And star to star, like sister-friends,
A fond electric message sends,
So that the air, from pole to pole,
Is formed from Breathings of the Soul.
Then cheer thee, Heart. Thy music-chords
Let any breeze shape into words.
Sing, while thou livest; if thou wouldst live,
Sing on; respire what all things give,
That influence without which we die,
But having, live immortally.
Each mite a world, each world a sun;
Nought so minute, but in its border
Resides an Everlasting Order,
A System, an Intelligence
From centre to circumference;
The tinièst as infinite
As the Titanic to the sight,
A universe of law, and truth,
Still fresh as in its dawn of youth,
Full of beauty, full of power,
Creating both from hour to hour;
Declaring each what all inherit,
The Strength of the Poetic Spirit:
Whence 'tis each planet to the other
Sings, and is sung to, like a brother;
And star to star, like sister-friends,
A fond electric message sends,
So that the air, from pole to pole,
Is formed from Breathings of the Soul.
Then cheer thee, Heart. Thy music-chords
Let any breeze shape into words.
Sing, while thou livest; if thou wouldst live,
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That influence without which we die,
But having, live immortally.
| The Judgement of the Flood | |