Inasmuch as you can measure her immeasurable ways,
As she renders world on world, sun and system to your gaze?
Though through space your object be the Sublimest to embrace,
Never the Sublime abideth—where you vainly search—in space!
* * * * *
THE BEST GOVERNED STATE
How the best state to know?—It is found out,
Like the best women—that least talked about.
* * * * *
MY BELIEF
What thy religion? Those thou namest—none!
None! Why?—Because I have religion!
* * * * *
FRIEND AND FOE
Dear is my friend—yet from my foe, as from my friend, comes good;
My friend shows what I can do, and my foe shows what I should.
* * * * *
LIGHT AND COLOR
Dwell, Light, beside the changeless God—God spoke and Light began;
Come, thou, the ever-changing one—come, Color, down to Man!
* * * * *
FORUM OF WOMEN
Woman—to judge man rightly—do not scan
Each separate act;—pass judgment on the Man!
* * * * *
GENIUS
Intellect can repeat what's been fulfill'd,
And, aping Nature, as she buildeth—build;
O'er Nature's base can haughty Reason dare
To pile its lofty castle—in the air.
But only thine, O Genius, is the charge,
In Nature's kingdom Nature to enlarge!
* * * * *
THE IMITATOR
Good out of good—that art is known to all—
But Genius from the bad the good can call;
Then, Mimic, not from leading-strings escaped,
Work'st but the matter that's already shaped
The already-shaped a nobler hand awaits—
All matter asks a Spirit that creates!
* * * * *
CORRECTNESS
(FREE TRANSLATION)
The calm correctness, where no fault we see,
Attests Art's loftiest or its least degree;
Alike the smoothness of the surface shows
The Pool's dull stagner—the great Sea's repose.
* * * * *
THE MASTER
The herd of scribes, by what they tell us,
Show all in which their wits excel us;
But the True Master we behold,
In what his art leaves—just untold.
* * * * *
EXPECTATION AND FULFILLMENT
O'er Ocean, with a thousand masts, sails forth the stripling bold—
One boat, hard rescued from the deep, draws into port the old!
* * * * *
THE PROSELYTE MAKER
"A little earth from out the Earth-and I
The Earth will move:" so spake the Sage divine.
Out of myself one little moment—try
Myself to take:—succeed, and I am thine!
* * * * *