 |
|
|
|
Whittier, John Greenleaf
|
|
|
|
|
Child-SongsNor sky, nor wave, nor tree, nor flower,
Nor green earth's virgin sod,
So moved the singer's heart of old
As these small ones of God.
.....We need love's tender lessons taught
As only weakness can;
God hath His small interpreters;
The child must teach the man.
.....Alone to guilelessness and love
That gate shall open fall;
The mind of pride is nothingness,
The childlike heart is all !
The Song of HopeI fear no more
The clouded face
Of Nature smiles:
Through all her things
Of time and space and sense I trace
The morning of the Spirit's wings,
And hear the Song of hope he sings
Our CountryWe give thy natal day to hope,
O Country of our love and prayer !
Thy way is down no fatal slope,
But up to freer sun and air.
.....No lack was in thy primal stock,
No weakling founders builded here ;
Thine were the men of Plymouth Rock,
The Huguenot and Cavalier ;And they whose firm endurance gained
The freedom of the souls of men,
Whose hands, unstained with blood, maintained
The swordless commonwealth of Penn.
.....With peace that comes of purity
And strength to simple justice due,
So runs our loyal dream of thee ;
God of our fathers ! make it true.O Land of lands ! to thee we give
Our prayers, our hope, our service free ;
For thee thy sons shall nobly live,
And at thy need shall die for thee !
Related SitesA Collection of Whittier's Poetry