| Edmund Clarence Stedman, ed. (1833–1908). An American Anthology, 1787–1900. 1900. |
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| 1303. “Ej Blot Til Lyst” |
| | | By William Morton Payne |
| | | | | (“Not for pleasure only,”—the motto of the Royal Theatre at Copenhagen.) |
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| NOT merely for our pleasure, but to purge | |
| The soul from baseness, from ignoble fear, | |
| And all the passions that make dim the clear | |
| Calm vision of the world; our feet to urge | |
| On to ideal far-set goals; to merge | 5 |
| Our being with the heart of things; brought near | |
| The springs of life, to make us see and hear | |
| And feel its swelling and pulsating surge:— | |
| Such, Thespian art divine, thy nobler aim; | |
| For this the tale of Œdipus was told, | 10 |
| Of frenzied Lear, Harpagon’s greed of gold;— | |
| And, knowing this, how must we view with shame | |
| Thy low estate, and hear the plaudits loud | |
| That mark thee now but pander to the crowd! | |
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