Ah! who can tell how hard it is to climb The step where Fame's proud temple shines afar: Ah! who can tell how many a soul sublime Has felt the influence of malignant star; And waged with fortune an eternal war; Check'd by the scoffs of Pride, by Envy's frown, And poverty's unconquerable bar; In life's lone vale remote has pined alone, Then dropt into the grave unpitied and unknown! -- @3Beattie's Minstrel.@1 Ah! who can tell how hard it is to climb, The steep where Fame's proud temple shines afar. Yet who can tell how many a soul sublime Has felt the influence of a radiant star; And waged with fortune a victorious war; Spur'd by the scoffs of Pride, by Envy's frown, And poverty -- that stimulating bar; In honored life has won a high renown, Then calmly left the world with Fame's eternal crown! LEVI BISHOP. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...A VALEDICTION: OF MY NAME IN THE WINDOW by JOHN DONNE A SEA DIALOGUE by OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES THE BELLS OF LONDON by MOTHER GOOSE DARWINISM by AGNES MARY F. ROBINSON THE HOUSE OF LIFE: 27. HEART'S COMPASS by DANTE GABRIEL ROSSETTI WAR AND WASHINGTON by JONATHAN MITCHELL SEWALL |