Skip directly to:Main content Main navigation

University of Virginia Library

The Poems of Richard Watson Gilder

Gilder, Richard Watson (1844-1909)

collapse section

collapse section

collapse section

1.

collapse section

2.

collapse section

1.

2.

II—THE TRAVELER

3.

III—“COME TO ME YE WHO SUFFER”

4.

IV—WRITTEN ON A FLY-LEAF OF “SHAKESPEARE'S SONNETS”

5.

V—“AND WERE THAT BEST!”

6.

VI—“THERE IS NOTHING NEW UNDER THE SUN”

7.

VII—LOVE'S CRUELTY

collapse section

3.

collapse section

1.

I—“THE PALLID WATCHER OF THE EASTERN SKIES”

2.

II—“MY LOVE FOR THEE DOTH MARCH LIKE ARMÈD MEN”

3.

III—“WHAT WOULD I SAVE THEE FROM?”

4.

IV—“WHAT WOULD I WIN THEE TO?”

5.

V—“I WILL BE BRAVE FOR THEE”

6.

VI—“LOVE ME NOT, LOVE, FOR THAT I FIRST LOVED THEE”

7.

VII—BODY AND SOUL

8.

VIII—“THY LOVER, LOVE, WOULD HAVE SOME NOBLER WAY”

9.

IX—LOVE'S JEALOUSY

10.

X—LOVE'S MONOTONE

11.

XI—“ONCE ONLY”

12.

13.

XIII—“ONCE WHEN WE WALKED WITHIN A SUMMER FIELD”

14.

15.

XV—LISTENING TO MUSIC

16.

XVI—“A SONG OF THE MAIDEN MORN”

17.

XVII—WORDS IN ABSENCE

18.

19.

XIX—THISTLE-DOWN

20.

XX—“O SWEET WILD ROSES THAT BUD AND BLOW”

21.

XXI—THE RIVER

22.

XXII—THE LOVER'S LORD AND MASTER

23.

24.

XXIV—“A NIGHT OF STARS AND DREAMS”

25.

XXV—A BIRTHDAY SONG

26.

XXVI—“WHAT CAN LOVE DO FOR THEE, LOVE?”

27.

XXVII—“THE SMILE OF HER I LOVE”

28.

XXVIII—FRANCESCA AND PAOLO

29.

XXIX—THE UNKNOWN WAY

30.

XXX—THE SOWER

31.

XXXI—“WHEN THE LAST DOUBT IS DOUBTED”

collapse section

4.

collapse section

1.

2.

II—THE MIRROR

3.

III—LIKENESS IN UNLIKENESS

4.

5.

6.

VI—“I COUNT MY TIME BY TIMES THAT I MEET THEE”

7.

8.

VIII—THE SEASONS

9.

IX—“SUMMER'S RAIN AND WINTER'S SNOW”

10.

11.

XI—“O MIGHTY RIVER, TRIUMPHING TO THE SEA”

12.

XII—“MY SONGS ARE ALL OF THEE”

13.

XIII—AFTER MANY DAYS

14.

XIV—WEAL AND WOE

15.

XV—“O, LOVE IS NOT A SUMMER MOOD”

16.

XVI—“LOVE IS NOT BOND TO ANY MAN”

17.

XVII—“HE KNOWS NOT THE PATH OF DUTY”

collapse section

THE CELESTIAL PASSION

collapse section

1.

THE POET AND HIS MASTER

MORS TRIUMPHALIS

THE MASTER-POETS

2.

collapse section

3.

THE VOICE OF THE PINE

MORNING, NOON, AND NIGHT

“DAY UNTO DAY UTTERETH SPEECH”

collapse section

4.

“WHEN LOVE DAWNED”

FATHER AND CHILD

“BEYOND THE BRANCHES OF THE PINE”

AN AUTUMN MEDITATION

“CALL ME NOT DEAD”

“EACH MOMENT HOLY IS”

“WHEN TO SLEEP I MUST”

TO A DEPARTED FRIEND

“THE EVENING STAR”

THE FREED SPIRIT

collapse section

collapse section

1.

collapse section

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

A SONG OF EARLY SUMMER

A MIDSUMMER SONG

“ON THE WILD ROSE TREE”

“BEYOND ALL BEAUTY IS THE UNKNOWN GRACE”

A SONG OF EARLY AUTUMN

collapse section

THE BUILDING OF THE CHIMNEY

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

“A WORD SAID IN THE DARK”

A RIDDLE OF LOVERS

“THE WOODS THAT BRING THE SUNSET NEAR”

SUNSET FROM THE TRAIN

“AFTER SORROW'S NIGHT”

A NOVEMBER CHILD

“NINE YEARS”

“BACK FROM THE DARKNESS TO THE LIGHT AGAIN”

collapse section

2.

“WE MET UPON THE CROWDED WAY”

THE WHITE AND THE RED ROSE

A WOMAN'S THOUGHT

collapse section

1.

2.

3.

collapse section

1.

2.

3.

collapse section

3.

AT GARFIELD'S GRAVE

THE NORTH TO THE SOUTH

THE BURIAL OF GRANT

THE DEAD COMRADE

ON THE LIFE-MASK OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN

collapse section

4.

ADELE AUS DER OHE

collapse section

1.

I—TO F. F. C. ON THE PANSY, HER CLASS FLOWER

2.

3.

III—TO A SOUTHERN GIRL

4.

5.

V—TO T. B. A.

6.

7.

VII—THE CHRISTMAS TREE IN THE NURSERY

collapse section

5.

MUSIC AND WORDS

THE POET'S FAME

THE POET'S PROTEST

TO A YOUNG POET

“WHEN THE TRUE POET COMES”

A SONNET OF DANTE

THE NEW TROUBADOURS

AN INSCRIPTION IN ROME

“JOCOSERIA”

TO AN ENGLISH FRIEND

OUR ELDER POETS

LONGFELLOW'S “BOOK OF SONNETS”

THE MODERN RHYMER

collapse section

TWO WORLDS AND OTHER POEMS

collapse section

1.

collapse section

2.

THE STAR IN THE CITY

“I CARE NOT IF THE SKIES ARE WHITE”

INDOORS, AT NIGHT

THE ABSENT LOVER

“TO-NIGHT THE MUSIC DOTH A BURDEN BEAR”

SANCTUM SANCTORUM

“AH, TIME, GO NOT SO SOON”

“THE YEARS ARE ANGELS”

“IN HER YOUNG EYES”

“YESTERDAY, WHEN WE WERE FRIENDS”

collapse section

3.

LOVE, ART, AND TIME

THE TWENTY-THIRD OF APRIL

THE TWELFTH OF DECEMBER

collapse section

4.

TO THE SPIRIT OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN

FAILURE AND SUCCESS

THE WHITE CZAR'S PEOPLE

collapse section

5.

HIDE NOT THY HEART

“THE POET FROM HIS OWN SORROW”

“WHITE, PILLARED NECK”

“GREAT NATURE IS AN ARMY GAY”

“LIFE IS THE COST”

THE PRISONER'S THOUGHT

“SOW THOU SORROW”

A MIDSUMMER MEDITATION

AS DOTH THE BIRD”

WITH A CROSS OF IMMORTELLES

collapse section

THE PASSING OF CHRIST

1.

2.

collapse section

NON SINE DOLORE

1.

2.

3.

collapse section

6.

collapse section

THE GREAT REMEMBRANCE AND OTHER POEMS

collapse section

1.

THE GREAT REMEMBRANCE

collapse section

2.

“THE WHITE CITY”

THE VANISHING CITY

THE TOWER OF FLAME

THE SILENCE OF TENNYSON

ON THE DEATH OF A GREAT MAN

A HERO OF PEACE

WASHINGTON AT TRENTON

A MONUMENT BY SAINT-GAUDENS

A MEMORY OF RUBINSTEIN

THE STRICKEN PLAYER

AN AUTUMN DIRGE

THE CHILD-GARDEN

THE CHRIST-CHILD

WASHINGTON SQUARE

A RHYME OF TYRINGHAM

“AH, BE NOT FALSE”

HOW DEATH MAY MAKE A MAN

“CAME TO A MASTER OF SONG”

EVENING IN TYRINGHAM VALLEY

collapse section

3.

collapse section

A WEEK'S CALENDAR

1.

2.

II—A NEW SOUL

3.

III—“KEEP PURE THY SOUL”

4.

IV—“THY MIND IS LIKE A CRYSTAL BROOK”

5.

V—“ONE DEED MAY MAR A LIFE”

6.

VI—THE UNKNOWN

7.

VII—IRREVOCABLE

collapse section

4.

“BECAUSE THE ROSE MUST FADE”

“FADES THE ROSE”

THE WINTRY HEART

HAST THOU HEARD THE NIGHTINGALE?

“IN THAT DREAD, DREAMED-OF HOUR”

“ROSE-DARK THE SOLEMN SUNSET”

“WINDS TO THE SILENT MORN”

THE UNRETURNING

collapse section

IN PALESTINE AND OTHER POEMS

collapse section

1.

THE ANGER OF CHRIST

THE BIRDS OF BETHLEHEM

“THE SUPPER AT EMMAUS”

THE PARTHENON BY MOONLIGHT

THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE

collapse section

“ANGELO, THOU ART THE MASTER”

1.

2.

A WINTER TWILIGHT IN PROVENCE

collapse section

2.

“THE POET'S DAY”

“HOW TO THE SINGER COMES THE SONG?”

“LIKE THE BRIGHT PICTURE”

REMEMBRANCE OF BEAUTY

MUSIC IN SOLITUDE

“A POWER THERE IS”

THE SONG'S ANSWER

THE VALLEY ROAD

HAWTHORNE IN BERKSHIRE

AN HOUR IN A STUDIO

A SONG OF THE ROAD

“‘NO, NO,’ SHE SAID”

A SOUL LOST, AND FOUND

“THIS HOUR MY HEART WENT FORTH, AS IN OLD DAYS”

“EVEN WHEN JOY IS NEAR”

“AS SOARS THE EAGLE”

collapse section

3.

ROBERT GOULD SHAW

“THE NORTH STAR DRAWS THE HERO”

OF HENRY GEORGE

THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT

“THROUGH ALL THE CUNNING AGES”

ONE COUNTRY—ONE SACRIFICE

“WHEN WITH THEIR COUNTRY'S ANGER”

THE WORD OF THE WHITE CZAR

collapse section

4.

A SONG FOR DOROTHEA, ACROSS THE SEA

ON A WOMAN SEEN UPON THE STAGE

OF ONE WHO NEITHER SEES NOR HEARS

FOR THE ESPOUSALS OF JEANNE ROUMANILLE, OF AVIGNON

TO MARIE JOSEPHINE GIRARD, QUEEN OF THE FÉLIBRES

INSCRIPTION FOR A TOWER IN FLORENCE

WITH A VOLUME OF DANTE

collapse section

AUTUMN AT FOUR-BROOKS FARM

INDOORS IN EARLY SPRING

collapse section

THE NIGHT PASTURE

1.

2.

3.

4.

A LETTER FROM THE FARM

“STROLLING TOWARD SHOTTERY”

STRATFORD BELLS

IN WORDSWORTH'S ORCHARD

SIR WALTER SCOTT

A DAY IN TUSCANY

A SACRED COMEDY IN FLORENCE

MICHAEL ANGELO'S AURORA

AT LUTHER'S GRAVE

THE BLAMELESS KNIGHT

THE NEW POLITICIAN

A LADY TO A KNIGHT

“IS HOPE A PHANTOM?”

“O, GLORIOUS SABBATH SUN”

MOTTO FOR A TREE-PLANTING

ON BEING ASKED FOR A SONG

TO AUSTIN DOBSON

JOHN GEORGE NICOLAY

THE COMFORT OF THE TREES

THE CITY OF LIGHT

collapse section

“IN THE HIGHTS”

“IN THE HIGHTS”

A CALL TO THE MOUNTAINS

SPRING SURPRISE

“THE LIGHT LIES ON THE FARTHER HILLS”

“AH, NEAR, DEAR FRIEND”

MUSIC IN DARKNESS

THE ANGER OF BEETHOVEN

MOTHER AND CHILD

ALICE FREEMAN PALMER

“MOTHER OF HEROES”

THE GREAT CITIZEN

ON READING OF A POET'S DEATH

JOHN HENRY BONER

“A WONDROUS SONG”

collapse section

1.

2.

3.

THE SINGER OF JOY

BREAD UPON THE WATERS

“WHAT MAN HATH DONE”

“HE PONDERED WELL”

“THOU THINKEST THOU HAST LIVED”

“SO FIERCE THE BUFFETS”

THE WORLD'S END

SHELLEY'S “OZYMANDIAS”

INAUGURATION DAY

THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT

BUILDERS OF THE STATE

collapse section

TO WILLIAM WATSON

“LIFE IS THE HAMMER”

“THE CRITIC SCANNED THE POET'S BOOK”

“HER DELICATE FORM”

AGE, AND THE SCORNER

TO JACOB A. RIIS

MUSIC AND FRIENDSHIP

“TELL ME GOOD-BY”

FAREWELL TO CHARLESTON

“THE PINES”

“NOT WREATHS ALONE”

FOR THE CITY CLUB

TO C. H. RUSSELL

“GIVE THY DAY TO DUTY”

THE PASSING OF JOSEPH JEFFERSON

“SHALL WE NOT PRAISE THE LIVING?”

collapse section

1.

2.

3.

A TEMPLE OF ART

collapse section

THE FIRE DIVINE

THE FIRE DIVINE

THE DOUBTER'S SOLILOQUY

“SPARE ME MY DREAMS”

THE VALLEY OF LIFE

TO ONE IMPATIENT OF FORM IN ART

THE POET'S SECRET

“THE DAY BEGAN AS OTHER DAYS BEGIN”

A POET'S QUESTION

PRELUDE FOR “A BOOK OF MUSIC”

MUSIC AT TWILIGHT

MUSIC IN MOONLIGHT

THE UNKNOWN SINGER

“THE PATHETIC SYMPHONY”

A FANTASY OF CHOPIN

“HOW STRANGE THE MUSICIAN'S MEMORY”

“IN A NIGHT OF MIDSUMMER”

IN THE WHITE MOUNTAINS

JOHN PAUL JONES

TO EMMA LAZARUS

GEORGE MACDONALD

JOSEPHINE SHAW LOWELL

“ONE ROSE OF SONG”

“LOST LEADERS”

ON A CERTAIN “AGNOSTIC”

“A WEARY WASTE WITHOUT HER”

THE POET'S SLEEP

WHERE SPRING BEGAN

PROOF OF SERVICE

BEFORE THE GRAND JURY

“IN THE CITIES”

A TRAGEDY OF TO-DAY

“THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE THE OLD PLACE!”

“I DREAMED”

collapse section

“FROM LOVE TO LOVE”

“I ASKED YOU TO READ MY POEM”

A WARRIOR OF TROY

THE OBELISK (1881)

CROWNED ABSURDITIES

TO “LITTLE LADY MARGARET”—WITH A BOOK OF POEMS

TO THE HERO OF A SCIENTIFIC ROMANCE

THE WATCHMAN ON THE TOWER

UNDER THE STARS

collapse section

IN HELENA'S GARDEN

collapse section

1.

collapse section

IN HELENA'S GARDEN

THE SUNSET WINDOW

“THE GRAY WALLS OF THE GARDEN”

THE MARBLE POOL

THE TABLE ROUND

“SOMETHING MISSING FROM THE GARDEN”

THREE FLOWERS OF THE GARDEN

THE LAST FLOWER OF THE GARDEN

collapse section

2.

THE LION OF TYRINGHAM

THE VOICE OF THE HIGHT

A SONG OF FRIENDSHIP

A ROSE OF DREAM

“WHEN THE GIRLS COME TO THE OLD HOUSE”

THE SONG OF A SONG

“WHEN THE WAR FLEET PUTS TO SEA”

IN PRAISE OF PORTRAITURE

IN TIMES OF PEACE

collapse section

EDWARD EVERETT HALE

BARDS OF BRITAIN (1908)

IN A CONCERT ROOM

THE LONESOME WILD

NEW FRIENDS AND OLD

A NAVAL SURGEON OF THE WAR FOR THE UNION

A MOTHER'S PICTURE

ON A YOUNG HERO

TO ONE WHO PRAISED “THE GAY LIFE”

THE SINGING RIVER

THE SOLACE OF THE SKIES

THE WINDING PATH

“WHAT MAKES THE GARDEN GROW”

“IF, ONE GREAT DAY”

MUSIC BENEATH THE STARS

THE BIRDS OF WESTLAND

THE VEIL OF STARS

collapse section

Collapse All | Expand All expand section

“WHAT MAKES THE GARDEN GROW”

What makes the garden grow
In beauty and delight—
A place to linger in by day or night,
But chiefly when the long and level light

457

Makes shadows that still glow
With burning blossoms—the heart's home
Wherefrom our charmèd feet reluctant roam.
Not pride, nor envy, nor crude wealth
Can bring the drooping roses health,
Nor lift the sanguine poppies, row on row,
Nor from their bed of green
Make every iris spread it like a queen;
While all along the wall
The jeweled colors call.
O, not from these can come the art
That touches the deep heart,
That makes the small blades shove
Through the soft earth into a pictured balm above:
Not sordid thoughts and low
Can make the garden grow
In beauty and delight,
A place to linger in by day or night—
Not these, not these, but love.