Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, ed. Poems of Places: An Anthology in 31 Volumes.
America: Vols. XXV–XXIX. 1876–79. | | | | New England: Newport, R. I. | | The Gray Cliff at Newport | | William Croswell Doane (1832–1913) |
| | | WHAT strivest thou for, O thou most mighty ocean, | |
| Rolling thy ceaseless sweeping surfs ashore? | |
| Canst thou not stay that restless, wild commotion? | |
| Must that low murmur moan forevermore? | |
| Yet thou art better than our hearts, though yearning | 5 |
| Still for some unattainéd, unknown land; | |
| Thou still art constant, evermore returning, | |
| With each fresh wind, to kiss our waiting strand. | |
| O heart! if restless, like the yearning ocean, | |
| Like it be all thy waves, of one emotion! | 10 |
| |
| Whither, with canvas wings, O ship, art sailing,— | |
| Homeward or outward bound, to shore or sea? | |
| What thought within thy strong sides is prevailing,— | |
| Hope or despair, sorrow or careless glee? | |
| Thou, too, art like our hearts, which gayly seeming, | 15 |
| With hope sails set to catch each freshening breeze, | |
| In truth art sad, with tears and trials teeming,— | |
| Perhaps to sail no more on life’s wild seas. | |
| O heart! while sailing, like a ship, remember, | |
| Thou, too, mayst founder in a rough December! | 20 |
| |
| Why your white arms, ye windmills, are ye crossing | |
| In sad succession to the evening breeze, | |
| As though within your gray old heads were tossing | |
| Thoughts of fatigue and longings after ease?— | |
| But ye are better than our hearts, for grieving | 25 |
| Over your cares ye work your destined way, | |
| While they, their solemn duties weakly leaving, | |
| In helpless sorrow weep their lives away. | |
| O heart! if like those hoary giants mourning, | |
| Why not be taught by their instructive warning! | 30 | | | |
|
|
