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Classic and Contemporary Poetry
DAWN, by MARJORIE LOWRY CHRISTIE PICKTHALL Poet's Biography First Line: O keep the world forever at the dawn Last Line: And o'er the crested pine shall hang one star. | |||
O KEEP the world forever at the dawn, Ere yet the opals, cobweb-strung, have dried, Ere yet too bounteous gifts have marred the morn Or fading stars have died. O, keep the eastern gold no wider than An angel's finger-span, And hush the increasing thunder of the sea To murmuring melody In those fair coves where tempests ne'er should be. Hold back the line of shoreward-sweeping surge And veil each deep sea-pool in pearlier mist, Ere yet the silver ripples on the verge Have turned to amethyst. Fling back the chariot of encroaching day And call the winds away Ere yet they sigh, and let the hastening sun Along his path in heaven no higher run, But show through all the years his golden rim With shadows lingering dim Forever o'er the world awaiting him. Hold every bird with still and drowsy wing, That in the breathless hush no clamorous throat Shall break the peace that hangs on everything With shrill awakening note; Keep fast the half-seen beauties of the rose In undisturbed repose, Check all the iris buds where they unfold Impatient from their hold, And close the cowslips' cups of honeyed gold. Keep all things hushed, so hushed we seem to hear The sounds of low-swung clouds that sweep the trees; Let now no harsher music reach the ear, No earthlier sounds than these, When whispering shadows move within the grass, And airy tremors pass Through all the earth with life awakening thrilled, And so forever stilled, Too sweet in promise e'er to be fulfilled. O keep the world forever at the dawn, Yet, keeping so, let nothing lifeless seem, But hushed, as if the miracle of morn Were trembling in its dream. Some shadowy moth may pass with downy flight And fade before the sight, While in the unlightened darkness of the wall The chirping crickets call; From forest pools where fragrant lilies are A breath shall pass afar, And o'er the crested pine shall hang one star. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...A CHILD'S SONG by MARJORIE LOWRY CHRISTIE PICKTHALL A MOTHER IN EGYPT by MARJORIE LOWRY CHRISTIE PICKTHALL A SAXON EPITAPH by MARJORIE LOWRY CHRISTIE PICKTHALL ARMOREL by MARJORIE LOWRY CHRISTIE PICKTHALL BEGA by MARJORIE LOWRY CHRISTIE PICKTHALL CANADA TO ENGLAND by MARJORIE LOWRY CHRISTIE PICKTHALL DEUS MISEREATUR by MARJORIE LOWRY CHRISTIE PICKTHALL DREAM RIVER by MARJORIE LOWRY CHRISTIE PICKTHALL DUNA by MARJORIE LOWRY CHRISTIE PICKTHALL EVENING by MARJORIE LOWRY CHRISTIE PICKTHALL |
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