DARWI N

When t h o! wert y o ! n g the world was y o ! n g!

Et e r n i t y had swallowed Time

Too s o o n and m a n s gra n d upward climb
!
’

Had only start ed when a t o n g! e

!

Thou gavest ages wh ich rehearse

The songs of co n ! ! e s t s old at last !

Which reach the ear from out the vast

R ecesses of the ! n i ! e r s e
.

And through the million ages gr o w n !

We see the myriads crawling by !

Till man is formed within the die

Which God had cast the earliest dawn .
When thou wert old th e world was old !

And old was Night and Day and Time !

And old was man whos e upward climb

Began when life began unfold .

II .

We se e th e e simple docil e child

! !

Who roams alone o er moors and hills

’
!

Not knowing whence are all th e thrills

Which move thin e heart out in the wil d .

Tis Nature making love divine

’
!

Before thou knowest yet her tone !

She loves to have th e e all alone

A n d whispe r to thee she is thine .

And those adv e ntu re s i n thy b rain

A r e b ! t a n e fio rt to r elat e
Thos e s e c rets knocking at the gate
Of mi n d with all pe r suasive strain
!
.
We wonder not at thy delight !

When lat e r as th e y found their way

! !

We se e the e liste n ing all th e day !

And oft fo rgetful o f th e night .

W e watch thy siste r s who becam e

A mot h e r to thee each i n tu rn!

The fi r e that sh e had set t o bu rn

They fanned with love a living fl ame .

A Martha ! uick a Mary mild

! !

Who loved a brothe r who r etu rn ed

A l o ve so beautifully ea rn ed
.

And did they feel the desti n ed child !

Whil e death w o uld hove r r ound his head !

Would bring ou r past t o huma n vi e w !

As did the b rothe r o f th o se two

The future whil e they thought him dead !
!
We see them go about the place
Whisperi n g plans fo r thy full !o y !

And does thy futu re awe them Boy !

!

D o es now the dawn peep in thy face !

The high daw n of a rising sun !

Behind the da rkest clouds which spread !

That hence will pierce all systems dead !

And th r ow a light on all things done .

We see thee by the Bell stone stand

!

Enchanted by he r story old !

She was the fi r st of them that tolled

The music of my native land

Int o thy soul with accents strong !

What w o nde r that in other climes

W e s e e thee charmed with other chimes
Since thou had st heard so sweet a song
’
.

10
We see thee growing into man !

A full grown man in fl esh and mind !

As light of foot as is the wind .

We see thee start with pen to scan

The epics grand God e arly w rote

The lyrics of the heart divine .

The tiniest life within the brin e

Is of the ha r mo n y a note.

We thank the chu r ch of a n cient rites

That called thee to the ancient hall
Of h e r we rev e re n tly call
The mother of great English poets .

We see thee go f rom la n d to la n d

I n war too great fo r ca n non s r oa r
’

A universe not known befo r e

Is claimed in silence by thine hand .

11
From day t o day the re at th e D o wn
We s e e the w o rk the Grave l Walk
! !

But o f thy pain we can n ot talk !

For o n thy fac e is not a frown .

To her the guardian o f thy breath

! !

Our d e bt grows large r day by day !

For as ye w e n t she sm o oth e d the w a y

With tendern e ss that crippled death .

Unwearied care in perfect ease !

A l o v e so stro ng its whisperings

!

Would banish pain with all its stings !

And chang e the storm to perfe ct p e ace .

Thou ne er did st thr o w a mistlet oe

’ ’

At any g o od and y e t o n thee

!

Some p o ison fell but n o t if she

!

Could catch th e dr o ps and drink thy wo e .

12
And wh e n th e te m pl e o f thy fa m e
Will sta n d i n age s n ot r e ve ale d !

Her sacr e d w o r d and l o vely deed

Will o n its alta r always fl a m e .

III .

We th o ught that t r uth had a n swe red s e a r ch !

And desti ne d th e e to teach th e fe w !

A n d call fro m alta r t o th e pe w !

Thou mad e st all the wo r ld a chu r ch !

! clai m i n g G o d with g ro w i n g for ce

ro !

But on His fac e was n o t a s m ile !

Fo r th o u w er t blinded fo r a w hil e
B e cause so ve ry nea r the sourc e .

Some clos e ly t o the Sun ha ve m used !

And see n a light u n k n o w n t o e a r th !

But whe n they tu rn e d t o tell its w o rth

The wo r ld was da r k a n d they co n fus e d .

13
And words unkind at them we hurled !

We thought the rays were contrary

To those which shine from Calvary
R e vealing life to all the world .

But all the lights ha v e one high source !

They fall on angles human here
Which are not yet divinely clear !

And change their paths and lose their force .

Against the truth he always cried

Is b a fil e d silence deadly guilt
‘

While yet the church is being built

On ground known truth was once d e nied !

T is
he that cries against the truth
’

Who never tries to find it out !

And he who is afraid of doubt

Believed but little from his youth .

14
God by one stroke made all was true
! !

All truth and rested like weak man

!
.

We saw not the eternal one

“
M y Father worketh hith e rto !

Ca n finite mould hold all the truth !

Is purity of n o avail !

Ah !what of him who did not fail

To keep th o se ten words from his youth !

Much was h e loved had h e but go n e

!

And kept the new o ne he was told !

The new was thine if not the old !

And hast thou found the two as one

!
!

For did He not who ga v e them fam e

! !

Declare them to be closely bound !

Wh e re one is oft the two are found
! !

Somewh e re perhaps they are the same .

16
S o m etimes we d o ubt s o m e times de n y
! !

Of n o ap o stle d o I k no w
I n wh o m the Maste r fo und n o fl aw !

But e very d o ubt and e ve ry c ry

Agai n st the t r uth s ete r nal sway

’

Will m e lt and die I kn o w the fine

.

’
All p recious gold from G o d s o wn mine
Will s o me w h e r e cast all d ro ss away .

Outgr o wn at times by l ov e is sense !

The y o u n ge r bud hid by a sn o w

“
White rose ! the Maste r said I go !

H is fr ie n d calle d o ut fo r self defense .

He kne w n o t the n the thi n gs o f God !

And he was therefo r e much r eprove d !

A n d y e t he the n his Mast e r loved

!ust like a child! but felt the r od .

16
His l ov e has w eight but n o t e n ough
! !

To balance igno ranc e it fails !

But late r h ow it tur n ed the scales

Whe n thrice the su m m o n s cam e for p r o o f !

But thy stro ng mind o utran the heart !

The tw o but seld om keep the pace !

But each at last will kn o w her place

“
And say My L o r d a n d God thou a r t
!

F o r b o th a r e His and beat and cli mb !

Because He mov e s a n d s o a r s Himself .

T o !o i n t c r eation s h ighest shelf

’

Wh o n ow can p rophesy th e ti m e !

’
The l ov e th o u had st fo r th o s e thine o wn
Was altar fi r e se n t fro m above !

I kno w that heat has caught thy love

Which broke out with that holy dawn
17
In w ild ecstacies strange to the m !
The trust thy child found wa r m i n
Is like that of the seraphim
Who guards the n e w !erusalem .

IV .

Men shout thy blunders a re so rife !

.

Well if co m pleteness had been reached

! !

Then void would be what thou hast preache d

For progre ss is its very life .

Thou wert a part of what was taught !

We see its truth in thine own mind
Unfolding nor can human kind
!

B e perfect in one single thought .

And in the best someone will miss

What he al o ne could n ot have found .

No aim can to perfection bound !

N o art than artist greater is .

18
The story told with careful art !

Is not the w hole although sublime !

For other things will come with time

“
But now we only know in part !
.

While seeking for an ancie n t goal

’
Twas given one to find the new
F o r all these milli on s not the few
!

Within the new to find the w hole

Was given thee We st o od beside

.

Locked gates of w o rlds G o d gav e

.

A strong and p r eci o us golden key !

The universe is O pen wide .

We see what He the Lord hath done

! !

In Being s temple on each wall

’
!

“
H e is the Lord that maketh all !
!

“
And He Spread fo rth the heavens alone
19
We l o ve as t r ue the gr eat and s m all !

Without the tini e st little whe e l

The master timepiece n o w w o uld reel !

A n d into chaos black w o uld fall .

W e trace the highest suns that s o ar !

And belt them as they whirl and dance !

And n o te the sta r abo v e the glance
Of humming bi r ds in Ecuad o r .

We c ro ss th o se lands l o ng since n o more !

!

And sweep o e r c o ntinent s unfo r med

’
!

We sail o er o ceans n eve r st o r med

’

Which neve r knew n o r sand nor sho r e .

We bask in suns n o t born t o men !

A n d c o o l i n shades n o breath hath stirred !

We hea r hosannas ne v er h e ard

“
With fa r off ages sh o ut A m en
20
And down creation s aisles we walk
’

So fa r with trembli ng and with fear !

We feel 0 Lo rd that thou a rt he re

! ! !

Our sil e nce tak e ! we cannot talk .

Ah ! finished man fo r he creates

! !

And with a little lump of clay

He up to beauty starts a way .

What courage ! ! o d he imi tates .

He there for Go d began to gr ope !

And there he once began to nod

With but a dreamy smile on ! od
The ge r m of ev erlasting h 0 pe .

We see the dawn of highe r r ace !

The dawn of beauty from the mind !

We s ee the triumph of the kind !

We see the ape go from thy face .

21
We hail thee Dawn Man mi ! ed thy rays
! !

Th ree fou r ths a man a f r acti on brute

!

! !

For th rough thine eye a mind doth shoot !

While roun d thy mouth a simian stays .

Ther e is some ke enness i n thy look !

The re !abbering to a common fl int !

To thee more pre cious than a mint

Of gold while sitting by that b rook
! .

We hea r thee babbling to thy child

Who so ftens much thine iron heart !

Unknown he knows the high est art

! !

The art that turns the fie rce to mild .

The morn is mo ist and rich an d wa rm

! !

The li on s roar aw akes the t ree

’

That at the soun d lets down on thee

The showe r resting on he r arm .
We see the time a grain of cho ice
Disturbed the sea of instinct still !

And coun t the days of mind and will

To whe r e all tongues are but a voice .

Born is the rose of holy fame !

An d Nature blushes like a maid

That ages hence in some cool shade
Will blush when love will give the same .

The birds w ith music fill the land !

And all the creeping things are charmed !

Like van! uished warriors are disarme d !

Drowsy they listen on the sand
!
.

And creatures small and great the earth

! ossess.What w o ndr o us f o rms o f life !
And s ome as n ow a r e in a strife
! !

A nd some are full o f e arly mirth .

23
And one claims both the land and s ea !

Of earth the first possesso r strange !

A double c r eature slow of change !

! et changi ng with the seas ons f ree .

Life fills the r estless ocea n wide !

Gre at mon ste rs move the waters deep !

Until at times the ir mighty swee p

! fl l
‘
uite ba e s the young r olling tid e .

At last w e re ach a simple kind !

A simple life with simple need !

Though simple ye t pr o found i n dee d

! !

Beyond the r each of human mi nd .

And still far d own the ages through

We trave l towa r ds that holy light
That s on the altar ever br ight
’
!

And transubstantiation true !

24
Fo r when was gone the heated st r ife !

A n d ! eace gave earth such r ich conte nts !

God someh ow mi ! ed the elements

With d rop of self and th e re was life
! .

Man yet w ill sing his pean best !

And all the ages fl ood with light !

Wh en many lette rs come to sight

No w hid in Nature s palimpsest
’
.

V .

And Natu re shar ed with thee he r charm !

And mused with thee as friend with friend !

While beautifully to the end

We saw ye going a rm in a rm .

And one in love vowed every day

That sh e is living kind and true
! ! !

That she is calm and constant too !

And that she no one d oth betray .

25
Then when w e miss ed the solemn face
! !

’
Thou did st inform us ho w sh e lives !

And how she takes or h ow she gives

“
Herse lf such beauteo us forms and gr ace !
.

Much like two lov ers once I knew !

The one s a w naught but living soul !

The o ther this and that and all

! !

The little acts the lovely hue

! .

Had st thou but paused and listened long

’

And ! uestioned her a little less !

I seem to hear her no w confess

Thou would st have h e ard that d e epe r s o n g
’

H e heard by Tintern and the Wye !

“
And would st have felt a spirit roll
’

Through all things while embracing

!

“
And with that ce rtain in ward eye !

26
Had st seen into the life of things
’

And would st have linked what is evolved

’

To Him whose be ing is unsolved !

Whose living voice through all things rings .

’
And did st thou lose thy love for song !
I doubt ! the music heard alone
The note of Being s sweetest tone
’

Was i n thine ear then far more strong !

And drowned the voices of the times .

I love to think that on some shore

Thy love for Milton lives once more
And that thou hearest human rimes !

And that thy endless upward course

! !

And all the vastnesses that be!

Now swell the anthem sung by thee !

“
On e hand hath made the uni verse !
.

27
 VI .

One hand is seen in all the plan !

One living mind lives in the whole !

But what the purpose in it all

We know not but we feel that man
!

Is destined for a noble end !

Through mists which o n the ages lie
A glimpse of glo ry strikes the eye
Though long the way on which we wend .

In all the plan one han d is s een

Though useless seem a myri ad lives !

Who knows but that which liv es and strive s

And fails to us succeeds ! Now keen
!

The strife an d old and gr im and long

! ! ! !

Si nce all w e cannot u nderstand !

How know Desi gn is not at hand !

Doth not the w eak help make the strong !
O f Order and Design no doubt
We feel Since God designed the whole
.

There must be Order in it all .

The Order is Design worked out .

And in this universe at most

! !

Truth comes in parts now unto men

Or blinds them ! time may yet come when
The weak is strong and nothing lost .

All energies now out of sight

Live on and neither sleep nor rest !

The heat I saw transform the we s t

Hides in the oak on which I write !

Although I feel a creeping chill

When on it rests my hand tonight .

I kn ow that all the grains of might !

Though unavailable at will !

29
And uncontrolled and tossed and hurled
! ! !

And lost to men who see n ot far !

Will find a home in other star

And !oin to move some other world .

And life may start in other grooves

And turn to forms so di ff erent
In other realms for God s intent
!
’

Is infinite the things He loves

!

In number infinite must be !

To satisfy unfathomed hea rt
Creative will may use all art !

Who knows throughout eternity

!
.

Tis true I cannot comprehend

’

A going on forever on
! !

But if I could well surely then

! !

That unto me would be the end .

30
The life He started shall not lurk !

Although it seems to us to stop!

But will it ever reach the top !

And God give up his greatest work !

For many are the worlds to come !

With million suns He will adorn!

And after that will men be born

Somehow somewhere and feel at home
! ! .

31
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