 | Valentine Verses |  |
221
THE STAGE.
The world's a Stage, all nature is the scene,
The actors, men,—spectator, God, I ween;
Death is the curtain, and believe thou me,
The curtain falls and soon will fall on thee.
The actors, men,—spectator, God, I ween;
Death is the curtain, and believe thou me,
The curtain falls and soon will fall on thee.
Such was the motto years of boyhood made,
Long before pomp or pageantry betray'd
An ardent spirit into love of fame,
Long before youth had thought of care or name.
How oft the curtain falling on the plain,
Recall'd that motto to my mind again;
Nor see I aught to strike it from my view,
Aught that is false, unholy, or untrue;
Aught so offensive, that the proud man's eye
May dare disdain it, or its truth deny;—
Thou wilt not spurn it, gentle friendly maid,
Thou wilt not spurn it, nor my pen upbraid,
Nor think me sad, if serious or gay,
I write a poem, tragedy, or play;
All would be easy—easier to me
Than reading could be readily to thee?
I know the stage, the tricks the actors play,
And mark their characters as any may;
I see the world, and note in merry mood,
The diff'rent scenes, and make them understood;
I see varieties of parts men act,
And know by reasoning the false and fact.
The prompter speaks so loudly, he is heard
Through nature's theatre—he must be fear'd!
Behind the scenes, in thicket, castle, cave,
On mountain pass, or passing on the wave;
In palace gay, or poverty's cold hut,
The actors play, and acting mostly strut.—
There is not one upon the world's wide stage,
Don't rage ye actors of the present age,
Should I but see him studying his part
I know directly if he learns by heart.
Long before pomp or pageantry betray'd
An ardent spirit into love of fame,
Long before youth had thought of care or name.
How oft the curtain falling on the plain,
Recall'd that motto to my mind again;
Nor see I aught to strike it from my view,
Aught that is false, unholy, or untrue;
Aught so offensive, that the proud man's eye
May dare disdain it, or its truth deny;—
Thou wilt not spurn it, gentle friendly maid,
Thou wilt not spurn it, nor my pen upbraid,
222
I write a poem, tragedy, or play;
All would be easy—easier to me
Than reading could be readily to thee?
I know the stage, the tricks the actors play,
And mark their characters as any may;
I see the world, and note in merry mood,
The diff'rent scenes, and make them understood;
I see varieties of parts men act,
And know by reasoning the false and fact.
The prompter speaks so loudly, he is heard
Through nature's theatre—he must be fear'd!
Behind the scenes, in thicket, castle, cave,
On mountain pass, or passing on the wave;
In palace gay, or poverty's cold hut,
The actors play, and acting mostly strut.—
There is not one upon the world's wide stage,
Don't rage ye actors of the present age,
Should I but see him studying his part
I know directly if he learns by heart.
Go, act thy part, and fearlessly proceed,
Take for thy master, Spirit, and thou'lt speed!
Study thyself! the nearer thou canst see
Thine imperfections, thou wilt nearer be
To wisdom's source; the actor of a part,
Where every word is prompted from the heart.
Tread thou the stage with manly step and mien,
And do thy duty in the passing scene.
The world's a stage where noble Christians pause,
And care but little for the world's applause;
They act their parts as wisely as they can,
At peace within, and fearful not of man;
But pressing on, the mark they would attain,
Is present hope and future well-earn'd gain.
Take for thy master, Spirit, and thou'lt speed!
Study thyself! the nearer thou canst see
Thine imperfections, thou wilt nearer be
To wisdom's source; the actor of a part,
Where every word is prompted from the heart.
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And do thy duty in the passing scene.
The world's a stage where noble Christians pause,
And care but little for the world's applause;
They act their parts as wisely as they can,
At peace within, and fearful not of man;
But pressing on, the mark they would attain,
Is present hope and future well-earn'd gain.
My gen'rous friends, I love ye one and all,
And wish ye happy at the curtain's fall;
Together act we;—Are we one in heart,
The stage will find we act a faithful part.
And wish ye happy at the curtain's fall;
Together act we;—Are we one in heart,
The stage will find we act a faithful part.
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