University of Virginia Library

II. Quest.

As in the snowy stillness,
Where the stars shine greenly
In a mirror of ice,
The Reindeer abideth alone,
And speedeth swiftly
From her following shadow
In the moon,—
I speed for ever
From the mystic shape
That my life projects,
And my Soul perceives;
And I loom for ever
Through desolate regions
Of wondrous thought,
And I fear the thing
That follows me,
And cannot escape it
Night or day.
Doth Thy wingëd lightning
Strike, O Master!
The timid Reindeer
Flying her shade?
Will Thy wrath pursue me,
Because I cannot
Escape the shadow
Of the thing I am?
I have pried and pondered,
I have agonised,
I have sought to find Thee,
Yet still must roam,
Affrighted, fleeing Thee,
Chased by the shadow
Of the thing I am,
Through desolate regions
Of wondrous thought!