EXPRESSION.

EXPRESSION.

A waveThrobs restless in the darkness on the sea.Glorious in heaven shines a strong white star,Sending long slender lines of level lightSerenely through the stillness; and the waveTakes to its heart the beautiful bright thing,Unconscious that it now stands self-revealedIn its own palpitating restlessness.“How very strange,” it murmurs to itself,“That a great radiant star should tremble so,Even as I do; and more strange it seems,That it should be so willing to betrayItself by shining.”And meanwhile in heavenThe star, with eyes fixed only upon God,Sweeps through the stately circles of the skiesIn motion grand as silence; undisturbedAnd self-contained; not dreaming that below,A little wave whose tremulous young heartHas caught a little of its brightness, thinksTo read and to interpret for itselfThe heavenly mysteries.Even so I hearMen call it strange that poets should revealThe sacred secrets of their inmost soulsTo every idlest reader.

A waveThrobs restless in the darkness on the sea.Glorious in heaven shines a strong white star,Sending long slender lines of level lightSerenely through the stillness; and the waveTakes to its heart the beautiful bright thing,Unconscious that it now stands self-revealedIn its own palpitating restlessness.“How very strange,” it murmurs to itself,“That a great radiant star should tremble so,Even as I do; and more strange it seems,That it should be so willing to betrayItself by shining.”And meanwhile in heavenThe star, with eyes fixed only upon God,Sweeps through the stately circles of the skiesIn motion grand as silence; undisturbedAnd self-contained; not dreaming that below,A little wave whose tremulous young heartHas caught a little of its brightness, thinksTo read and to interpret for itselfThe heavenly mysteries.Even so I hearMen call it strange that poets should revealThe sacred secrets of their inmost soulsTo every idlest reader.

A waveThrobs restless in the darkness on the sea.Glorious in heaven shines a strong white star,Sending long slender lines of level lightSerenely through the stillness; and the waveTakes to its heart the beautiful bright thing,Unconscious that it now stands self-revealedIn its own palpitating restlessness.“How very strange,” it murmurs to itself,“That a great radiant star should tremble so,Even as I do; and more strange it seems,That it should be so willing to betrayItself by shining.”And meanwhile in heavenThe star, with eyes fixed only upon God,Sweeps through the stately circles of the skiesIn motion grand as silence; undisturbedAnd self-contained; not dreaming that below,A little wave whose tremulous young heartHas caught a little of its brightness, thinksTo read and to interpret for itselfThe heavenly mysteries.Even so I hearMen call it strange that poets should revealThe sacred secrets of their inmost soulsTo every idlest reader.

A wave

Throbs restless in the darkness on the sea.

Glorious in heaven shines a strong white star,

Sending long slender lines of level light

Serenely through the stillness; and the wave

Takes to its heart the beautiful bright thing,

Unconscious that it now stands self-revealed

In its own palpitating restlessness.

“How very strange,” it murmurs to itself,

“That a great radiant star should tremble so,

Even as I do; and more strange it seems,

That it should be so willing to betray

Itself by shining.”

And meanwhile in heaven

The star, with eyes fixed only upon God,

Sweeps through the stately circles of the skies

In motion grand as silence; undisturbed

And self-contained; not dreaming that below,

A little wave whose tremulous young heart

Has caught a little of its brightness, thinks

To read and to interpret for itself

The heavenly mysteries.

Even so I hear

Men call it strange that poets should reveal

The sacred secrets of their inmost souls

To every idlest reader.


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