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142

II. THE SPIRIT OF MAN.

Sing on, thou shape of death, thy savage song,
I will defy thee, though the foam-waves roll,
I, in the shivering night, so lone, so long,
Waiting for thee—a naked human soul:
I will defy thee, though thy laws should give
Pause to my breath in act of utterance,
Though in each tortuous twist and trick of chance
My life be lapped, I will defy; and live.
I am of thee, World-torrent; and who braves
Thy strength shall share thy strength; so sweep away
This body, still athwart thy raging waves
My hands outreaching round thy soul I lay;

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And hold thee fast for ever. As I cling
Painfully persevering, in my ears
The surging of the mighty water clears
To one sweet harmony; and, like a wing
Pulsing in distant skies, is borne the sound
Of that far chaunt whose charm no mortal man,
Hearing, forgets for ever; for around
The dreams of childhood when his life began,
His formless youthful fancies, and above
All after-cries and cravings still it rang
Imperiously insistent where it sang
The will of God, the wonder of His love.