| Higginson and Bigelow, comps. American Sonnets. 1891. | | | | Carpe Diem | | By John White Chadwick (1840–1904) |
| | | O SOUL of mine, how few and short the years | |
| Ere thou shalt go the way of all thy kind, | |
| And here no more thy joy or sorrow find | |
| At any fount of happiness or tears! | |
| Yea, and how soon shall all that thee endears | 5 |
| To any heart that beats with love for thee | |
| Be everywhere forgotten utterly, | |
| With all thy loves and joys, and hopes and fears! | |
| But, O my soul, because these things are so, | |
| Be thou not cheated of to-day’s delight. | 10 |
| When the night cometh, it may well be night; | |
| Now it is day. See that no minute’s glow | |
| Of all the shining hours unheeded goes; | |
| No fount of rightful joy by thee untasted flows. | | | | |
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