From the weighing of fate and the sad discussion of sin, By the length and the breadth and the sweep of the marshes of Glynn. Ye marshes, how candid and simple and nothingwithholding and free Ye publish yourselves to the sky and offer yourselves to the sea! Tolerant plains, that suffer the sea and the rains and the sun, Ye spread and span like the catholic man who hath mightily won God out of knowledge and good out of infinite pain And sight out of blindness and purity out of a stain. As the marsh-hen secretly builds on the watery sod, Behold I will build me a nest on the greatness of God: I will fly in the greatness of God as the marsh-hen flies In the freedom that fills all the space 'twixt the marsh and the skies: By so many roots as the marsh-grass sends in the sod I will heartily lay me a-hold on the greatness of God: Oh, like to the greatness of God is the greatness within The range of the marshes, the liberal marshes of Glynn. And the sea lends large, as the marsh: lo, out of his plenty the sea Pours fast full soon the time of the flood-tide must be: Look how the grace of the sea doth go About and about through the intricate channels that flow Here and there, Everywhere, Till his waters have flooded the uttermost creeks and the low-lying lanes, And the marsh is meshed with a million veins, Farewell, my lord Sun! The creeks overflow: a thousand rivulets run 'Twixt the roots of the sod; the blades of the marshgrass stir: Passeth a hurrying sound of wings that westward whirr; Passeth, and all is still; and the currents cease to run; And the sea and the marsh are one. How still the plains of the waters be! The tide is at his highest height; And it is night. And now from the Vast of the Lord will the waters of sleep Roll in on the souls of men, But who will reveal to our waking ken The forms that swim and the shapes that creep Under the waters of sleep? And I would I could know what swimmeth below when the tide comes in On the length and the breadth of the marvellous marshes of Glynn. A CALIFORNIA VIGNETTE (From Tamar) BY ROBINSON JEFFERS Old cypresses The sailor wind works into deep-sea knots A thousand years; age-reddened granite That was the world's cradle and crumbles apieces Now that we're all grown up, breaks out at the roots; And underneath it the old gray-granite strength Is neither glad nor sorry to take the seas Of all the storms forever and stand as firmly As when the red hawk wings of the first dawn Streamed up the sky over it: there is one more beautiful thing, Water that owns the north and west and south And is all colors and never is all quiet, And the fogs are its breath and float along the branches of the cypresses. And I forgot the coals of ruby lichen That glow in the fog on the old twigs. IN THE WOOD BY SARA TEASDALE I heard the waterfall rejoice, I saw the sun flash out of it The earth was like an open flower And while earth lured me, gently, gently, Happy and all alone, Reared black upon a stone. ENGLAND AND SWITZERLAND, 1802 BY WILLIAM WORDSWORTH Two voices are there; one is of the Sea, Thou fought'st against him, but hast vainly striven: Thou from thy Alpine holds at length art driven, Where not a torrent murmurs heard by thee. -Of one deep bliss thine ear hath been bereft; THE INVITATION BY PERCY BYSSHE SHELLEY Best and brightest, come away! Which, like thee to those in sorrow, The brightest hour of unborn Spring, Bending from heaven, in azure mirth, Strew'd flowers upon the barren way, Like one on whom thou smilest, dear. |