Purpose and Meaning of Life

The Soul's distinct connection

974

The Soul's distinct connection
With immortality
Is best disclosed by Danger
Or quick Calamity-

As Lightning on a Landscape
Exhibits Sheets of Place-
Not yet suspected-but for Flash-
And Click-and Suddenness.

The Service without Hope

779

The Service without Hope-
Is tenderest, I think-
Because 'tis unsustained
By stint-Rewarded Work-

Has impetus of Gain-
And impetus of Goal-
There is no Diligence like that
That knows not an Until-

The Province of the Saved

539

The Province of the Saved
Should be the Art-To save-
Through Skill obtained in Themselves-
The Science of the Grave

No Man can understand
But He that hath endured
The Dissolution-in Himself-
That Man-be qualified

To qualify Despair
To Those who failing new-
Mistake Defeat for Death-Each time-
Till acclimated-to-

The Murmur of a Bee

155

The Murmur of a Bee
A Witchcraft-yieldeth me-
If any ask me why'
Twere easier to die-
Than tell-

The Red upon the Hill
Taketh away my will-
If anybody sneer-
Take care-for God is hereThat's
all.

The Breaking of the Day
Addeth to my Degree-
If any ask me howArtist-
who drew me so-
Must tell!

Taking up the fair Ideal

428

Taking up the fair Ideal,
Just to cast her down
When a fracture-we discover-
Or a splintered Crown-
Makes the Heavens portable-
And the Gods-a lieDoubtless-"
Adam"-scowled at Eden-
For his perjury!

Cherishing-our pool Ideal-
Till in purer dress-
We behold her-glorifiedComforts-
search-like this-
Till the broken creatures-
We adored-for wholeStains-
all washedTransfigured-
mended-
Meet us-with a smile-

Our little Kinsmen—after Rain

885

Our little Kinsmen—after Rain
In plenty may be seen,
A Pink and Pulpy multitude
The tepid Ground upon.


A needless life, it seemed to me
Until a little Bird
As to a Hospitality
Advanced and breakfasted.


As I of He, so God of Me
I pondered, may have judged,
And left the little Angle Worm
With Modesties enlarged.

One and One—are One

769

One and One—are One—
Two—be finished using—
Well enough for Schools—
But for Minor Choosing—


Life—just—or Death—
Or the Everlasting—
More—would be too vast
For the Soul's Comprising—

Not that We did, shall be the test

823

Not that We did, shall be the test
When Act and Will are done
But what Our Lord infers We would
Had We diviner been-

No Other can reduce

982

No Other can reduce
Our mortal Consequence
Like the remembering it be nought
A Period from hence
But Contemplation for
Contemporaneous Nought
Our Single Competition
Jehovah's Estimate.

No Crowd that has occurred

515

No Crowd that has occurred
Exhibit-I suppose
That General Attendance
That Resurrection-does-

Circumference be full-
The long restricted Grave
Assert her Vital Privilege-
The Dust-connect-and live-

On Atoms-features place-
All Multitudes that were
Efface in the Comparison-
As Suns-dissolve a star


Solemnity-prevail-
Its Individual Doom
Possess each separate ConsciousnessAugust-
Absorbed-Numb-

What Duplicate-exist-
What Parallel can be-
Of the Significance of This-
To Universe-and Me?

My life had stood

My life had stood--a Loaded Gun--
In Corners--till a Day
The Owner passed--identified--
And carried Me away--

And now We roam in Sovereign Woods--
And now We hunt the Doe--
And every time I speak for Him--
The Mountains straight reply--

And do I smile, such cordial light
Upon the Valley glow--
It is as a Vesuvian face
Had let its pleasure through--

And when at Night--Our good Day done--
I guard My Master's Head-'
Tis better than the Eider-Duck's
Deep Pillow--to have shared--

To foe of His--I'm deadly foe--
None stir the second time--
On whom I lay a Yellow Eye--
Or an emphatic Thumb--

Though I than He--may longer live
He longer must--than I--
For I have but the power to kill,
Without--the power to die--

Low at my problem bending

69

Low at my problem bending,
Another problem comes-
Larger than mine-Serener-
Involving statelier sums.


I check my busy pencil,
My figures file away.
Wherefore, my baffled fingers
They perplexity?

Just lost, when I was saved!

160

Just lost, when I was saved!
Just felt the world go by!
Just girt me for the onset with Eternity,
When breath blew back,
And on the other side
I heard recede the disappointed tide!


Therefore, as One returned, I feel
Odd secrets of the line to tell!
Some Sailor, skirting foreign shores-
Some pale Reporter, from the awful doors
Before the Seal!


Next time, to stay!
Next time, the things to see
By Ear unheard,
Unscrutinized by Eye-


Next time, to tarry,
While the Ages steal-
Slow tramp the Centuries,
And the Cycles wheel!

It troubled me as once I was

600

It troubled me as once I was-
For I was once a Child-
Concluding how an Atom-fell-
And yet the Heavens-held-

The Heavens weighed the most-by far-
Yet Blue-and solid-stood-
Without a Bolt-that I could prove-
Would Giants-understand?

Life set me larger-problems-
Some I shall keep-to solve
Till Algebra is easier-
Or simpler proved-above


Then-too-be comprehended-
What sorer-puzzled me-
Why Heaven did not break away-
And tumble-Blue-on me-

Is Bliss then, such Abyss

340

Is Bliss then, such Abyss,
I must not put my foot amiss
For fear I spoil my shoe?


I'd rather suit my foot
Than save my Boot-
For yet to buy another Pair
Is possible,
At any store-


But Bliss, is sold just once.
The Patent lost
None buy it any more-
Say, Foot, decide the point-
The Lady cross, or not?
Verdict for Boot!

I shall know why—when Time is over

193

I shall know why—when Time is over—
And I have ceased to wonder why—
Christ will explain each separate anguish
In the fair schoolroom of the sky—


He will tell me what "Peter" promised—
And I—for wonder at his woe—
I shall forget the drop of Anguish
That scalds me now—that scalds me now!

I reason, Earth is short

301

I reason, Earth is short-
And Anguish-absolute-
And many hurt,
But, what of that?


I reason, we could die-
The best Vitality
Cannot excel Decay,
But, what of that?


I reason, that in Heaven-
Somehow, it will be even-
Some new Equation, given-
But, what of that?

I prayed, at first, a little Girl

576

I prayed, at first, a little Girl,
Because they told me to-
But stopped, when qualified to guess
How prayer would feel-to me-

If I believed God looked around,
Each time my Childish eye
Fixed full, and steady, on his own
In Childish honesty-

And told him what I'd like, today,
And parts of his far plan
That baffled me-
The mingled side
Of his Divinity-

And often since, in Danger,
I count the force 'twould be
To have a God so strong as that
To hold my life for me

Till I could take the Balance
That tips so frequent, now,
It takes me all the while to poise-
And then-it doesn't stay-

I meant to have but modest needs

476

I meant to have but modest needs-
Such as Content-and Heaven-
Within my income-these could lie
And Life and I-keep even-

But since the last-included both-
It would suffice my Prayer
But just for One-to stipulate-
And Grace would grant the Pair-

And so-upon this wise-I prayed-
Great Spirit-Give to me
A Heaven not so large as Yours,
But large enough-for me-

A Smile suffused Jehovah's face-
The Cherubim-withdrew-
Grave Saints stole out to look at me-
And showed their dimples-too-

I left the Place, with all my might-
I threw my Prayer away-
The Quiet Ages picked it up-
And Judgment-twinkled-too-
Tat one so honest-be extant-
It take the Tale for true-
That "Whatsoever Ye shall ask-
Itself be given You"-

But I, grown shrewder-scan the Skies
With a suspicious Air-
As Children-swindled for the first
All Swindlers-be-infer-

How happy is the little Stone

1510

How happy is the little Stone
That rambles in the Road alone,
And doesn't care about Careers
And Exigencies never fears-
Whose Coat of elemental Brown
A passing Universe put on,
And independent as the Sun
Associates or glows alone,
Fulfilling absolute Decree
In casual simplicity-

Heaven is what I cannot reach!

Heaven is what I cannot reach!
The apple on the tree,

Provided it do hopelss hang,
That 'heaven' is, to me.

The color on the cruising cloud,
The interdicted ground

Behind the hill, the house behind, -There
Paradise is found!

He put the Belt around my life

273

He put the Belt around my life
I heard the Buckle snap-
And turned away, imperial,
My Lifetime folding up-
Deliberate, as a Duke would do
A Kingdom's Title Deed-
Henceforth, a Dedicated sort-
A Member of the Cloud.

Yet not too far to come at call-
And do the little Toils
That make the Circuit of the Rest-
And deal occasional smiles
To lives that stoop to notice mine-
And kindly ask it in-
Whose invitation, know you not
For Whom I must decline?

Faith


"Faith" is a fine invention
When Gentlemen can see—
But Microscopes are prudent
In an Emergency.

Expectation—is Contentment

807

Expectation—is Contentment—
Gain—Satiety—
But Satiety—Conviction
Of Necessity


Of an Austere trait in Pleasure—
Good, without alarm
Is a too established Fortune—
Danger—deepens Sum—