 | The Poetical Works of James Gates Percival |  |
HOPE OF FAME.
To live beyond the grave,—to leave a name,That, like a living sun, shall hold its way
Undimmed through ages,—to be hailed hereafter
As first among the spirits who have gifted
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Of all sublimer souls, as deities
Are treasured in their shrines,—to load the tongues
Of nations, and be uttered in the songs
And prayers of millions;—he who bears such hope
Fixed in his heart, and holds his lonely way
Cheered by this only, and yet keeps himself
Unwavering in the many shocks that push
His purpose from its path,—he was not cast
In nature's common mould. Such hope itself
Is greatness.
| The Poetical Works of James Gates Percival | |