Alice Corbin. O World. Harriet Monroe, ed. Poetry: A Magazine of Verse. 1912-22

Harriet Monroe, ed. (1860–1936). Poetry: A Magazine of Verse. 1912–22.

O World

By Alice Corbin


From “Old Songs for New” O WORLD that changes under my hand,
O brown world, bitter and bright,
And full of hidden recesses
Of love and light—

O world, what use would there be to me	5
Of power beyond power
To change, or establish new balance,
To build, or deflower?

O world, what use would there be?
—Had I the Creator’s fire,	10
I could not build you nearer
To my heart’s desire!