Lines in Pleasant Places Rhythmics of many moods and quantities. Wise and otherwise |
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THE PEBBLE ON THE SHORE. |
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 | Lines in Pleasant Places |  |
263
THE PEBBLE ON THE SHORE.
A wanderer upon the strand
Of the wide sea, before him gleaming,
Held in his open, curious hand
A pebble, subject for his dreaming,
Picked from the white encircling sand,
Polished as if by science seeming.
Of the wide sea, before him gleaming,
Held in his open, curious hand
A pebble, subject for his dreaming,
Picked from the white encircling sand,
Polished as if by science seeming.
He gazed upon its perfect form,
As true as though by care invested,
Wrought by the force of many a storm,
That with the shore erewhile contested,
And left, when ceased the conflict warm,
In humble beauty where it rested.
As true as though by care invested,
Wrought by the force of many a storm,
That with the shore erewhile contested,
And left, when ceased the conflict warm,
In humble beauty where it rested.
“'Tis but a little stone,” he said,
“Scarce worth a serious inspection,”
But through his mind the pebble sped,
And waked a train of deep reflection,
Like David's in Goliah's head,
That brought the giant to subjection.
“Scarce worth a serious inspection,”
But through his mind the pebble sped,
And waked a train of deep reflection,
Like David's in Goliah's head,
That brought the giant to subjection.
264
“Here is a truth, though simply told:
If this small pebble, idly lying,
Had never by the waves been rolled,
Its beauties none would now be spying,
But in befouling sand or mould
Its worth in darkness would be dying.
If this small pebble, idly lying,
Had never by the waves been rolled,
Its beauties none would now be spying,
But in befouling sand or mould
Its worth in darkness would be dying.
“But, dashed by the resistless sea,
It gained its symmetry by action;
One round of motion, constantly,
Made it a thing of satisfaction;
This moral lesson teaching me,
That ne'er will lose its strong attraction:
It gained its symmetry by action;
One round of motion, constantly,
Made it a thing of satisfaction;
This moral lesson teaching me,
That ne'er will lose its strong attraction:
“Man, but a pebble on Time's shore,
His soul were dead from inanition;
Though battling waves may chafe it sore,
And make its lot a vexed condition,
It by the trial shines the more,
Needing the polish of attrition.
His soul were dead from inanition;
Though battling waves may chafe it sore,
And make its lot a vexed condition,
It by the trial shines the more,
Needing the polish of attrition.
“And all the beauty that it knows,
Drawn forth by toil in mercy given,
Upon the shoal in brightness shows,
—Bright in degree that it has striven,—
At last in God's own hand it glows,
A jewel fit to set in heaven.”
Drawn forth by toil in mercy given,
Upon the shoal in brightness shows,
—Bright in degree that it has striven,—
At last in God's own hand it glows,
A jewel fit to set in heaven.”
| Lines in Pleasant Places | |