Commencement Poems: '79-'86. ...H.J. Lawrence, printer, 1888 |
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afar Alcinor Antigone armor fine arms beauty blest blooms blossoms breast breath breeze bright broken hearth-stone brood child clay cloud common clay cried crumbling dark Darkling dear divine dream earth were fair earthly esquires eyes flame flashes flickering flower glad glittering glow God yet judged golden grace grass green grow hand hath hear heart heaven Hermione knee lark laughing laughter life's light lips little maid live lonely Mignonette morning mould murmured mysterious never night o'er Old earth past perfect hour phantom pine poppies pray prayer pride priest purple radiant rapture Sapphire secret shadow shine silent smile SMITH COLLEGE song soul splendor stars sweet swift tempest tender thee thou thought toil toys as Andrefels tree tremulous Valdemar virgin vision voice Whate'er whispering wild wind wing wise World-mother woman wondering children sells words wrought youth
Popular passages
Page 30 - Life is a game the soul can play With fewer pieces than men say. Only to grow as the grass grows, Prating not of joys or woes ; To burn as the steady hearth-fire burns ; To shine as the star can shine, Or only as the mote of dust that turns Darkling and twinkling in the beam of light divine ; And for my wisdom — glad to know Where the sweetest beech-nuts grow.
Page 26 - Caesar knew, But the old ages knew a plan — The lost art — how to mold a man. VI. World, wise old world, What may man do for thee ? Thou that art greater than all of us, What wilt thou do to me ? This glossy curve of the tall grass-spear — Can I make its lustrous green more clear ? This tapering shaft of oat, that knows To grow erect as the great pine grows, And to sway in the wind as well as he — Can I teach it to nod more graciously...
Page 25 - A.nd sigh in dreams for spheres more blest, Save for some trouble, half-confessed, Some least misgiving, all my heart With such a world were satisfied. Had every day such skies of blue, Were men all wise, and women true, Might youth as calm as manhood be, And might calm manhood keep its lore And still be young — and one thing more, Old earth were fair enough for me. Ah, sturdy world, old patient world ! Thou hast seen many times and men; Heard jibes and curses at thee hurled From cynic lip and...
Page 30 - ... each night, On some plain work well wrought, Or if a man as right and true might be As a flower or tree ! I would give up all the mind In the prim city's hoard can find — House with its scrap-art bedight, Straightened manners of the street.
Page 49 - I know not more : nor if that helm did rust In weed of some drear wilderness down-thrust, Where in the watches lone Heaven's host beheld him lying overthrown, While God yet judged him victor, God whose laws Note not the event of battle, but the cause. I know not more : nor if the nodding prize Of lustrous laurels e'er that helm did crown, While God yet judged him vanquished, God whose eyes Saw how his Demon smote his Angel down In some forgotten field and left him low.
Page 47 - Honor spurred Or, Be thou faithful, fortunate, and bold. But scarce for his own heart the aspirant heard. VII. And armed, all save the head, He kneeled before his master gray and good. Like some tall, noble, ancient ship he stood, That once swept o'er the tide With banners, and freight of heroes helmeted For worthy war, and music breathing pride. Now, the walled cities won, And storms withstood, and all her story spun, She towers in sand beside some sunny bay, Whence in the silvery morn new barks...
Page 32 - They to the disappointed earth shall give The lives we meant to live. " That this solace comes to us only in fugitive moments, and is easily misleading, may be urged as an excuse for our blindness and insensitiveness to the august moral resources which the youth of each city offers to those who are in the midst of the city's turmoil. A further excuse is afforded in...
Page 45 - ... claim the name and join the company Of slayers of Soldans swart and Dragons grim, Not ignorant of wanded wizards' guile. And deserts parched, and waters wide to swim ? " He halted at the challenge of the dead. Anon, in twilight, fancy feigned a smile To curve the carven lips, as though they said, " Oh welcome, brother, of whom the world hath need ! Ere the recorded deed We trembled, hoped, and doubted, even as thou.
Page 49 - ... had seen ; And Pentecost had kindled all the trees To tremulous thin whispering flames of green, And given to each a sacred word to say ; And wind-fine voices of the wind-borne birds Were ever woven in among their words. Soft-brooding o'er the hamlet where it lay, The circling hills stood stoled with holy white, For orchards brake to blossom in the night ; And all the morning was one blown blue flower, And all the world was at its perfect hour. So fared he gladly, and his spirit yearned To do...
Page 57 - IN the hall of the king the loud mocking of many at one ; While lo! with his hand on his harp the old bard is undone! One false note, then he stammers, he sobs like a child, he is failing, And the song that so bravely began ends in discord and wailing.