 | Poems by William Wetmore Story |  |
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COUPLETS.
307
[I. To each his separate work; the ox to drag the plough]
To each his separate work; the ox to drag the plough,
The bird to sing his song upon the blossomy bough.
The bird to sing his song upon the blossomy bough.
I do not ask the grain and hay your acres yield,
If I may pluck the flower you trample in your field.
If I may pluck the flower you trample in your field.
How perfect nature is! the sun, and cloud, and rain
Give me a little song, and ripen all your grain.
Give me a little song, and ripen all your grain.
II.
SHAKESPEARE.
Our nearness value lends to trivial things and slight,
But only distance gives to lofty ones their height.
But only distance gives to lofty ones their height.
The Pyramids, to those beneath them, look not high,
But as we go from them they tower into the sky.
But as we go from them they tower into the sky.
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So thy colossal mind, in time's perspective seen,
Still rises up and up with more majestic mien.
Still rises up and up with more majestic mien.
[III. Strive not to say the whole! the Poet, in his Art]
Strive not to say the whole! the Poet, in his Art,
Must intimate the whole, and say the smallest part.
Must intimate the whole, and say the smallest part.
The young moon's silver are her perfect circle tells,
The limitless within Art's bounded outline dwells.
The limitless within Art's bounded outline dwells.
Of every noble work the silent part is best,
Of all expression, that which cannot be expressed.
Of all expression, that which cannot be expressed.
Each act contains the Life, each work of Art the world,
And all the planet laws are in each dew-drop pearled.
And all the planet laws are in each dew-drop pearled.
Of single stones is built the temple's Grecian state,
Yet should the poet not its stones enumerate.
Yet should the poet not its stones enumerate.
The lizard gliding o'er the Pyramid's huge cone
Knows not the Pyramids, but only every stone.
Knows not the Pyramids, but only every stone.
Subservient to the form all details must be brought,
All images be slaves to one despotic thought.
All images be slaves to one despotic thought.
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[IV. We of our age are part, and every thrill that wakes]
We of our age are part, and every thrill that wakes
The tremulous air of Life its motion in us makes.
The tremulous air of Life its motion in us makes.
The imitative mass mere empty echo give,
As walls and rocks return the sound that they receive.
As walls and rocks return the sound that they receive.
But as the bell, that high in some cathedral swings,
Stirred by whatever thrill, with its own music rings,
Stirred by whatever thrill, with its own music rings,
So finer souls give forth, to each vibrating tone
Impinging on their life, a music of their own.
Impinging on their life, a music of their own.
[V. All Arts are one, howe'er distributed they stand]
All Arts are one, howe'er distributed they stand;Verse, tone, shape, color, form, are fingers on one hand.
[VI. Lift thou thyself above the accidents of life]
Lift thou thyself above the accidents of life,
With pain and joy alike be friends, abjuring strife.
With pain and joy alike be friends, abjuring strife.
If in thy growing fields the tempest beat thy grain,
See! it hath blown disease from off the stagnant plain.
See! it hath blown disease from off the stagnant plain.
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If Friendship seize the sword, bare thou thy breast and wait;
Love conquers Love, but Hate hath never conquered Hate.
Love conquers Love, but Hate hath never conquered Hate.
Patient the wounded earth receives the plough's sharp share,
And hastes the sweet return of golden grain to bear.
And hastes the sweet return of golden grain to bear.
The sea remembers not the vessel's rending keel,
But rushes joyously the ravage to conceal.
But rushes joyously the ravage to conceal.
So, patient under scorn and injury abide,—
Who conquereth all within may dare the world outside.
Who conquereth all within may dare the world outside.
[VII. Yes, thrift is very good. Respect to men of thrift]
Yes, thrift is very good. Respect to men of thrift!
They stick to solid facts, and let the dreamer drift.
They stick to solid facts, and let the dreamer drift.
The earth their mother is, their heart unto her clings,
And since they live with her why should they covet wings?
And since they live with her why should they covet wings?
They find in common life a present task to do,
The distant and the dim let idle poets woo.
The distant and the dim let idle poets woo.
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Yet out of earth alone was no man ever made.
The imagination gives the very soul to Trade.
The imagination gives the very soul to Trade.
The merchant schemes and dreams, with magic numbers plays,
On speculation's wings he threads through fortune's maze.
On speculation's wings he threads through fortune's maze.
Across the pathless deep his ships like shuttles fly,
And weave together lands by needs and luxury.
And weave together lands by needs and luxury.
With astrologic faith he on the stars relies,
And ventures all his wealth to shifting winds and skies.
And ventures all his wealth to shifting winds and skies.
He trusts a needle's point, a few weak planks and chart,
To bring an Eastern spice into a Western mart.
To bring an Eastern spice into a Western mart.
What faith in things unseen! Hath any poet's dreams
More fancy than your plain and sober merchant's schemes?
More fancy than your plain and sober merchant's schemes?
[VIII. Live not without a friend! The Alpine rock must own]
Live not without a friend! The Alpine rock must own
Its mossy grace, or else be nothing but a stone.
Its mossy grace, or else be nothing but a stone.
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Live not without a God! however low or high,
In every house should be a window to the sky.
In every house should be a window to the sky.
[IX. While we are young our youth too near for Art doth lie]
While we are young our youth too near for Art doth lie—
Our life a poem is, but for another's eye.
Our life a poem is, but for another's eye.
Youth by projection knows how glorious manhood is,
And manhood feels youth's charm by golden memories.
And manhood feels youth's charm by golden memories.
Not in the present we the present charm can feel,
But Memory and Hope have Beauty's wondrous seal.
But Memory and Hope have Beauty's wondrous seal.
Time smelts the dross away and leaves the ore alone,
And in a magic ring it sets life's opal stone.
And in a magic ring it sets life's opal stone.
[X. That dress of thine is made of many lives; I see]
That dress of thine is made of many lives; I see
Upon thy coral there the diver's misery.
Upon thy coral there the diver's misery.
Thy shawl is red with blood, for that the camel bled;
The seamstress sewed her pain into thy lace's thread.
The seamstress sewed her pain into thy lace's thread.
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The tortured worm gave up his tomb thy silk to make,
The oyster bore his pearl of trouble for thy sake.
The oyster bore his pearl of trouble for thy sake.
The frolic kid was flayed thy snowy hands to hide,
A thousand cochineals to paint thy ribbon died.
A thousand cochineals to paint thy ribbon died.
Thou wouldst not crush a worm, so gentle is thy heart,
And yet, behold! how strange a paradox thou art.
And yet, behold! how strange a paradox thou art.
[XI. The conscious Intellect the servant is of Art]
The conscious Intellect the servant is of Art,
The unconscious Phantasy performs the master's part.
The unconscious Phantasy performs the master's part.
Despite the helm and sail the vessel will not go,
Howe'er we strive, until the breath of heaven shall blow.
Howe'er we strive, until the breath of heaven shall blow.
Love is the only key of knowledge, as of Art,
Nothing is truly ours but what we learn by heart.
Nothing is truly ours but what we learn by heart.
[XII. An inward faith alone can make our life sincere]
An inward faith alone can make our life sincere,
And into Art that life transmuted should appear.
And into Art that life transmuted should appear.
Not of a trick or lie those fairest shapes are born,
That seem like human souls that godlike forms have worn.
That seem like human souls that godlike forms have worn.
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The Greek in nature saw his gods half-hidden lurk,
And copying nature, wrought his gods into his work.
And copying nature, wrought his gods into his work.
[XIII. Nature in circles moves round fixed and central laws]
Nature in circles moves round fixed and central laws;
The spirit's spiral path a moving centre draws.
The spirit's spiral path a moving centre draws.
The seed results the tree, the tree results the seed,
Its ultimated fruit but to its root doth lead.
Its ultimated fruit but to its root doth lead.
But thought strives ever up, beyond itself aspires,
New forms and higher powers are born of its desires.
New forms and higher powers are born of its desires.
Rest absolute is death; rest relative alone
To Nature must belong; the soul must on and on.
To Nature must belong; the soul must on and on.
What askest thou of Death, but that the senses' door
It shall unlock and let the spirit upward soar?
It shall unlock and let the spirit upward soar?
Soar on and up, its God projecting as it goes,
Expanding into love, and joy, and peace—but not repose.
Expanding into love, and joy, and peace—but not repose.
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In utter rest the soul could never fitly dwell,
Debarred from upward growth, e'en Paradise were hell.
Debarred from upward growth, e'en Paradise were hell.
[XIV. We are but what we think, and must immortal be]
We are but what we think, and must immortal be,
Else whence hath come the thought of immortality?
Else whence hath come the thought of immortality?
The limits of its sphere can nothing e'er transcend,
And thought, roam where it will, can never find its end.
And thought, roam where it will, can never find its end.
Around the soul one thought of nebulous glory clings,
As Saturn is ensphered within its luminous rings.
As Saturn is ensphered within its luminous rings.
This pours upon our life its pure and lambent light,
And brings its fullest joy when sorrow brings the night.
And brings its fullest joy when sorrow brings the night.
[XV. The East for sweet luxurious ease and rest]
The East for sweet luxurious ease and rest—
For toil, and pain, and struggle is the West.
For toil, and pain, and struggle is the West.
The calm siesta, pipe, and soft divan
With mild sensations, are for Eastern man.
With mild sensations, are for Eastern man.
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The fierce debate, the strife for place and power,
The brain and nerve life, is our Western dower.
The brain and nerve life, is our Western dower.
With all our rush and toil we scarcely move,
And lose the truest joy of living—love!
And lose the truest joy of living—love!
[XVI. The Imperfect hath a charm the Perfect cannot own]
The Imperfect hath a charm the Perfect cannot own;
From satisfaction Hope ungirds her flashing zone.
From satisfaction Hope ungirds her flashing zone.
No perfect, Nature shapes; she only hints in each,
And tantalizes with her partly finished speech.
And tantalizes with her partly finished speech.
| Poems by William Wetmore Story | |