 | The Poems of Richard Watson Gilder |  |
INSCRIPTION FOR A TOWER IN FLORENCE
(WRITTEN FOR THE CHATELAINE)
I
Four-walled is my tower:The first wall is for the dawn that comes from Vallombrosa,
The second wall is for the day that fills with soft fire the green vase of Tuscany,
The third is for the evening twilight that darkens from the Valley of the Arno,
The fourth is for the night and the stars of night.
II
Four-walled is my tower:One wall is for the South and the sun,
One is for the West and for memory,
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And one is for the East and a faith that fares beyond the stars.
III
Four-walled is my tower:One wall is for the Spring and for Hope,
One is for Summer and for Love,
One is for Autumn and the Harvest,
One is for Winter and for Waiting.
IV
Four-walled is my tower:One is for Childhood and the Innocence of Life,
The second is for Youth and the Joy of Life,
The third is for Manhood and the Fullness of Life,
The fourth is for Old Age and the Wisdom of Life.
V
Four-walled is my tower:A Rock for Strength,
A Hight for Seeing,
A Beacon for the Stranger,
And a Hearth for Friendship.
Four-walled is my tower
On the Hill of Bellosguardo.
| The Poems of Richard Watson Gilder | |