Love of the Lyre.
O! I’ll be a poet! I must! I will!To tune the Lyrical harp,I’ll earnestly strive to attain the skill,And naught shall my purpose warp.“Pray why would you ever a poet be,What charm is there in his trade?”—His soul the bright home of the Beautiful,The Good and the True is made!He dwells with fresh Nature, mid birds and flowers,Fair trees and all lovely things;In his heart is the joy of woodland bowers,Deep dells and secluded springs.And thus in creation he walks with God,Beholding his wondrous ways;And when he has long in this pathway trod,He ventures his song of praise.The rich earth becomes as a heaven to him,And fair as the sky above,For he hears the glad bird, and the light breeze sing,Th’ sweet truth that “God is love.”Oh! wonder thou not at my heart’s deep choice,Of the poet’s lonely ways,Whose task is in music, to lift his voice,And through nature God to praise!1852
O! I’ll be a poet! I must! I will!To tune the Lyrical harp,I’ll earnestly strive to attain the skill,And naught shall my purpose warp.“Pray why would you ever a poet be,What charm is there in his trade?”—His soul the bright home of the Beautiful,The Good and the True is made!He dwells with fresh Nature, mid birds and flowers,Fair trees and all lovely things;In his heart is the joy of woodland bowers,Deep dells and secluded springs.And thus in creation he walks with God,Beholding his wondrous ways;And when he has long in this pathway trod,He ventures his song of praise.The rich earth becomes as a heaven to him,And fair as the sky above,For he hears the glad bird, and the light breeze sing,Th’ sweet truth that “God is love.”Oh! wonder thou not at my heart’s deep choice,Of the poet’s lonely ways,Whose task is in music, to lift his voice,And through nature God to praise!1852
O! I’ll be a poet! I must! I will!To tune the Lyrical harp,I’ll earnestly strive to attain the skill,And naught shall my purpose warp.
O! I’ll be a poet! I must! I will!
To tune the Lyrical harp,
I’ll earnestly strive to attain the skill,
And naught shall my purpose warp.
“Pray why would you ever a poet be,What charm is there in his trade?”—His soul the bright home of the Beautiful,The Good and the True is made!
“Pray why would you ever a poet be,
What charm is there in his trade?”—
His soul the bright home of the Beautiful,
The Good and the True is made!
He dwells with fresh Nature, mid birds and flowers,Fair trees and all lovely things;In his heart is the joy of woodland bowers,Deep dells and secluded springs.
He dwells with fresh Nature, mid birds and flowers,
Fair trees and all lovely things;
In his heart is the joy of woodland bowers,
Deep dells and secluded springs.
And thus in creation he walks with God,Beholding his wondrous ways;And when he has long in this pathway trod,He ventures his song of praise.
And thus in creation he walks with God,
Beholding his wondrous ways;
And when he has long in this pathway trod,
He ventures his song of praise.
The rich earth becomes as a heaven to him,And fair as the sky above,For he hears the glad bird, and the light breeze sing,Th’ sweet truth that “God is love.”
The rich earth becomes as a heaven to him,
And fair as the sky above,
For he hears the glad bird, and the light breeze sing,
Th’ sweet truth that “God is love.”
Oh! wonder thou not at my heart’s deep choice,Of the poet’s lonely ways,Whose task is in music, to lift his voice,And through nature God to praise!
Oh! wonder thou not at my heart’s deep choice,
Of the poet’s lonely ways,
Whose task is in music, to lift his voice,
And through nature God to praise!
1852