THOU, in that golden time whose other name Is opportunity, dost thou not know, Has no one ever told thee, of thy claim? Thou art the heir, for heaven hath made thee so; All things are thine; look up, and thou shalt see: Sun, moon, and stars are bowing down to thee, Making obeisance, as in Joseph's dream; For thee it is that waters roll, stars shine, Voices arise by lonely hill and stream, Friendly monitions, whisperings divine; For thee do Ariels sing; and where the walls 'Twixt the two worlds are thinnest, in the air Come momentary gleams—the sheen that falls As from no earthly garments ever: there, With heaven's power and blessing to bestow, The holy Presences pass to and fro. All possibilities are in thy hand, All powers thine to summon and command, And all for this: that thou, made brave of heart, Daring to seem not other than thou art, Mightst follow thine ideal, not the show Of what hath in it aught of base or low, But thine own best ideal, till thou be Thyself the man the world needs most to see! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE DINNER-PARTY by AMY LOWELL A SHROPSHIRE LAD: 28. THE WELSH MARCHES by ALFRED EDWARD HOUSMAN BROWNING AT ASOLO by ROBERT UNDERWOOD JOHNSON THE SIGN OF THE CROSS by JOHN HENRY NEWMAN CEREMONIAL ODE; INTENDED FOR A UNIVERSITY by LASCELLES ABERCROMBIE PSALM 103 by OLD TESTAMENT BIBLE THE TRYST by VALERY YAKOVLEVICH BRYUSOV |