How didst thou start, Thou Holy Baptist, bid To pour repentance on the Sinless Brow! Then all thy meekness, from thy hearers hid, Beneath the Ascetic's port, and Preacher's fire, Flow'd forth, and with a pang thou didst desire He might be chief, not thou. And so on us at whiles it falls, to claim Powers that we dread, or dare some forward part; Nor must we shrink as cravens from the blame Of pride, in common eyes, or purpose deep; But with pure thoughts look up to God, and keep Our secret in our heart. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...BRICKLAYER LOVE by CARL SANDBURG THE CANTERBURY TALES: THE GENERAL PROLOGUE by GEOFFREY CHAUCER TO A MATTABASSETT (A CONNECTICUT INDIAN) by WALTER BARDECK THE VALLEY OF FERN: PART 2 by BERNARD BARTON TO LIFE by HELEN TAPPAN BERTHOFF PARTY CARD NO. 224332 by ALEXANDR ILYICH BEZYMENSKY THE GREEK PARTISAN by WILLIAM CULLEN BRYANT JEHANE by AMELIA JOSEPHINE BURR OBSERVATIONS IN THE ART OF ENGLISH POESY: 31 by THOMAS CAMPION |