Classic and Contemporary Poetry
FOR THE FUTURE, by ADELAIDE ANNE PROCTER Poet's Biography First Line: I wonder did you ever count Last Line: Sake. Alternate Author Name(s): Berwick, Mary Subject(s): Fate; Future; Life; Love; Destiny | ||||||||
I WONDER did you ever count The value of one human fate; Or sum the infinite amount Of one heart's treasures, and the weight Of Life's one venture, and the whole concentrate purpose of a soul. And if you ever pause to think That all this in your hands I laid Without a fear: -- did you not shrink From such a burden? half afraid, Half wishing that you could divide the risk, or cast it all aside. While Love has daily perils, such As none foresee and none control; And hearts are strung so that one touch, Careless or rough, may jar the whole, You well might feel afraid to reign with absolute power of joy and pain. You well might fear -- if Love's sole claim Were to be happy: but true Love Takes joy as solace; not as aim, And looks beyond, and looks above; And sometimes through the bitterest strife first learns to live her highest life. Earth forges joy into a chain Till fettered Love forgets its strength, Its purpose, and its end; -- but Pain Restores its heritage at length, And bids Love rise again and be eternal, mighty, pure, and free. If then your future life should need A strength my Love can only gain Through suffering, or my heart be freed Only by sorrow from some stain, Then you shall give, and I will take, this Crown of of fire for Love's dear sake. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...ATTEMPTING TO ANSWER DAVID IGNATOW'S QUESTION by ROBERT BLY FROST AND HIS ENEMIES by ROBERT BLY THE WORLDS IN THIS WORLD by LAURE-ANNE BOSSELAAR UNABLE TO FIND by LAURE-ANNE BOSSELAAR TO HELEN KELLER - HUMANITARIAN, SOCIAL DEMOCRAT, GREAT SOUL by EDWIN MARKHAM DOMESDAY BOOK: FINDING OF THE BODY by EDGAR LEE MASTERS WE COME BACK by KENNETH REXROTH THE WAKING (2) by THEODORE ROETHKE A DOUBTING HEART by ADELAIDE ANNE PROCTER |
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