Life and Existence

Of Bronze—and Blaze

290

Of Bronze—and Blaze—
The North—Tonight—
So adequate—it forms—
So preconcerted with itself—
So distant—to alarms—
And Unconcern so sovereign
To Universe, or me—
Infects my simple spirit
With Taints of Majesty—
Till I take vaster attitudes—
And strut upon my stem—
Disdaining Men, and Oxygen,
For Arrogance of them—


My Splendors, are Menagerie—
But their Completeless Show
Will entertain the Centuries
When I, am long ago,
An Island in dishonored Grass—
Whom none but Beetles—know.

Of Consciousness, her awful Mate

894

Of Consciousness, her awful Mate
The Soul cannot be rid-
As easy the secreting her
Behind the Eyes of God.

The deepest hid is sighted first
And scant to Him the Crowd-
What triple Lenses burn upon
The Escapade from God-

Not that We did, shall be the test

823

Not that We did, shall be the test
When Act and Will are done
But what Our Lord infers We would
Had We diviner been-

Not that We did, shall be the test

823

Not that We did, shall be the test
When Act and Will are done
But what Our Lord infers We would
Had We diviner been-

No Rack can torture me

384

No Rack can torture me-
My Soul-at Liberty-
Behind this mortal Bone
There knits a bolder One-

You cannot prick with saw-
Nor pierce with Scimitar-
Two Bodies-therefore be-
Bind One-The Other fly-

The Eagle of his Nest
No easier divest-
And gain the Sky
Than mayest Thou-

Except Thyself may be
Thine Enemy-
Captivity is ConsciousnessSo's
Liberty.

No Other can reduce

982

No Other can reduce
Our mortal Consequence
Like the remembering it be nought
A Period from hence
But Contemplation for
Contemporaneous Nought
Our Single Competition
Jehovah's Estimate.

No Other can reduce

982

No Other can reduce
Our mortal Consequence
Like the remembering it be nought
A Period from hence
But Contemplation for
Contemporaneous Nought
Our Single Competition
Jehovah's Estimate.

No Crowd that has occurred

515

No Crowd that has occurred
Exhibit-I suppose
That General Attendance
That Resurrection-does-

Circumference be full-
The long restricted Grave
Assert her Vital Privilege-
The Dust-connect-and live-

On Atoms-features place-
All Multitudes that were
Efface in the Comparison-
As Suns-dissolve a star


Solemnity-prevail-
Its Individual Doom
Possess each separate ConsciousnessAugust-
Absorbed-Numb-

What Duplicate-exist-
What Parallel can be-
Of the Significance of This-
To Universe-and Me?

No Crowd that has occurred

515

No Crowd that has occurred
Exhibit-I suppose
That General Attendance
That Resurrection-does-

Circumference be full-
The long restricted Grave
Assert her Vital Privilege-
The Dust-connect-and live-

On Atoms-features place-
All Multitudes that were
Efface in the Comparison-
As Suns-dissolve a star


Solemnity-prevail-
Its Individual Doom
Possess each separate ConsciousnessAugust-
Absorbed-Numb-

What Duplicate-exist-
What Parallel can be-
Of the Significance of This-
To Universe-and Me?

No Crowd that has occurred

515

No Crowd that has occurred
Exhibit-I suppose
That General Attendance
That Resurrection-does-

Circumference be full-
The long restricted Grave
Assert her Vital Privilege-
The Dust-connect-and live-

On Atoms-features place-
All Multitudes that were
Efface in the Comparison-
As Suns-dissolve a star


Solemnity-prevail-
Its Individual Doom
Possess each separate ConsciousnessAugust-
Absorbed-Numb-

What Duplicate-exist-
What Parallel can be-
Of the Significance of This-
To Universe-and Me?

New feet within my garden go

99

New feet within my garden go-
New fingers stir the sod-
A Troubadour upon the Elm
Betrays the solitude.

New children play upon the green-
New Weary sleep below-
And still the pensive Spring returns-
And still the punctual snow!

Nature—sometimes sears a Sapling

314

Nature—sometimes sears a Sapling—
Sometimes—scalps a Tree—
Her Green People recollect it
When they do not die—


Fainter Leaves—to Further Seasons—
Dumbly testify—
We—who have the Souls—
Die oftener—Not so vitally—

Nature—sometimes sears a Sapling

314

Nature—sometimes sears a Sapling—
Sometimes—scalps a Tree—
Her Green People recollect it
When they do not die—


Fainter Leaves—to Further Seasons—
Dumbly testify—
We—who have the Souls—
Die oftener—Not so vitally—

Nature-sometimes sears a Sapling

314

Nature-sometimes sears a SaplingSometimes-
scalps a Tree-
Her Green People recollect it
When they do not die-

Fainter Leaves-to Further Seasons-
Dumbly testifyWe-
who have the Souls-
Die oftener-Not so vitally-

Nature and God—I neither knew

835

Nature and God—I neither knew
Yet Both so well knew me
They startled, like Executors
Of My identity.


Yet Neither told—that I could learn—
My Secret as secure
As Herschel's private interest
Or Mercury's affair—

My Worthiness is all my Doubt

751

My Worthiness is all my Doubt-
His Merit-all my fear-
Contrasting which, my quality
Do lowlier-appear-

Lest I should insufficient prove
For His beloved Need-
The Chiefest Apprehension
Upon my thronging Mind


'Tis true-that Deity to stoop
Inherently incline-
For nothing higher than Itself
Itself can rest upon-

So I-the undivine abode
Of His Elect Content-
Conform my Soul-as 'twere a Church,
Unto Her Sacrament-

My Worthiness is all my Doubt

751

My Worthiness is all my Doubt-
His Merit-all my fear-
Contrasting which, my quality
Do lowlier-appear-

Lest I should insufficient prove
For His beloved Need-
The Chiefest Apprehension
Upon my thronging Mind


'Tis true-that Deity to stoop
Inherently incline-
For nothing higher than Itself
Itself can rest upon-

So I-the undivine abode
Of His Elect Content-
Conform my Soul-as 'twere a Church,
Unto Her Sacrament-

My Soul—accused me—And I quailed

753

My Soul—accused me—And I quailed—
As Tongue of Diamond had reviled
All else accused me—and I smiled—
My Soul—that Morning—was My friend—


Her favor—is the best Disdain
Toward Artifice of Time—or Men—
But Her Disdain—'twere lighter bear
A finger of Enamelled Fire—

My period had come for Prayer

564

My period had come for Prayer-
No other Art-would do-
My Tactics missed a rudimentCreator-
Was it you?

God grows above-so those who pray
Horizons-must ascend-
And so I stepped upon the North
To see this Curious Friend-

His House was not-no sign had He-
By Chimney-nor by Door
Could I infer his Residence-
Vast Prairies of Air

Unbroken by a Settler-
Were all that I could seeInfinitude-
Had'st Thou no Face
That I might look on Thee?

The Silence condescended-
Creation stopped-for Me-
But awed beyond my errand-
I worshipped-did not "pray"-

My period had come for Prayer

564

My period had come for Prayer-
No other Art-would do-
My Tactics missed a rudimentCreator-
Was it you?

God grows above-so those who pray
Horizons-must ascend-
And so I stepped upon the North
To see this Curious Friend-

His House was not-no sign had He-
By Chimney-nor by Door
Could I infer his Residence-
Vast Prairies of Air

Unbroken by a Settler-
Were all that I could seeInfinitude-
Had'st Thou no Face
That I might look on Thee?

The Silence condescended-
Creation stopped-for Me-
But awed beyond my errand-
I worshipped-did not "pray"-

My life had stood

My life had stood--a Loaded Gun--
In Corners--till a Day
The Owner passed--identified--
And carried Me away--

And now We roam in Sovereign Woods--
And now We hunt the Doe--
And every time I speak for Him--
The Mountains straight reply--

And do I smile, such cordial light
Upon the Valley glow--
It is as a Vesuvian face
Had let its pleasure through--

And when at Night--Our good Day done--
I guard My Master's Head-'
Tis better than the Eider-Duck's
Deep Pillow--to have shared--

To foe of His--I'm deadly foe--
None stir the second time--
On whom I lay a Yellow Eye--
Or an emphatic Thumb--

Though I than He--may longer live
He longer must--than I--
For I have but the power to kill,
Without--the power to die--

My Faith is larger than the Hills

766

My Faith is larger than the Hills-
So when the Hills decay-
My Faith must take the Purple Wheel
To show the Sun the way


'Tis first He steps upon the Vane-
And then-upon the Hill-
And then abroad the World He go
To do His Golden Will-

And if His Yellow feet should miss-
The Bird would not arise-
The Flowers would slumber on their Stems-
No Bells have Paradise-

How dare I, therefore, stint a faith
On which so vast depends-
Lest Firmament should fail for me-
The Rivet in the Bands

My best Acquaintances are those

932

My best Acquaintances are those
With Whom I spoke no Word-
The Stars that stated come to Town
Esteemed Me never rude
Although to their Celestial Call
I failed to make reply-
My constant-reverential Face
Sufficient Courtesy.

Much Madness is divinest Sense

Much Madness is divinest Sense -
To a discerning Eye -
Much Sense - the starkest Madness `
Tis the Majority
In this, as All, prevail -
Assent - and you are sane -
Demur - you`re straightaway dangerous -
And handled with a Chain -