Touches on The Harp of Nature in the Same Key as Burns' Grand Anthem. By Henry Ellison |
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THOUGHTS ON ROADSIDE SEATS, AND THEIR
MORAL. |
 | Touches on The Harp of Nature |  |
THOUGHTS ON ROADSIDE SEATS, AND THEIR MORAL.
1.
I love to feel the firm earth 'neath my feet,The solid ground of life's reality!
I like to live too by the daily eye
And heart, and e'en the meanest thing I meet
With kindly recognition still to greet;
'Tis not so if my heart but feels thereby
Its Best—then has it its sublimity!
I love not dreams, save such as, on this seat,
With quickened pulse of heart, and waking sight,
I now indulge—such as God himself might
Dream, could he ever dream!—which steadily
By God's broad day bear looking into! yea!
Such as ne'er hover 'round the brows of Sleep!
Well may heaven's blessed light, transfiguring, steep
This rude, yet sublime symbol, by the way
Of human love! which stirs the heart more deep
Than pompous eulogy, or poet's lay!
2.
Blessings be on his head who placed it here!Who, of poor human nature's destiny
8
A moment's rest, its hard path towards the bier!
It bears no name, inscription—yet in clear
And sublime characters its meaning high
Is graven—“sacred to Humanity!”
And from what altar would God sooner hear
A prayer addressed to Him? then kneel, oh man!
And pray for godlike modesty like this
To work the Godlike likewise under His,
And not thy, name! and this the poorest can!
To serve man, man's best glory, none need miss!
And he who can't do so none has, nor—is!
| Touches on The Harp of Nature | |