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Poem
May 9, 1835
The Liberator
Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts
What is this article about?
A lyrical poem likening the serene beauty and sudden storms of nature to the joys and sorrows of human life, concluding with the soul's transcendence to eternal light beyond earthly mists.
Clipping
OCR Quality
98%
Excellent
Full Text
LITERARY.
SUNSHINE AND STORMS.
Look upon the clouds that lie
Pillowed on the far off sky,
So resplendent and serene
That they hardly dim its sheen
Look upon the sparkling deep,
Where the golden sunbeams sleep,
And across the waters bright,
Braid their quivering lines of light.
Yet the spirit of the storm
Marks his elemental form
Underneath this seeming rest,
Which is over nature's breast;
And a day will scarcely pass,
Ere a dark and heavy mass
Will beneath the sunshine spread,
Like a canopy of lead.
And the shrieking gale will fly,
Trailing vapors through the sky!
And the waves will crowd and roar
To the rock engirdled shore!
And the rustling forest swing
To this tempest's mighty wing!
And the ocean and the land
Feel the fury of his hand!
Is not this alternate strife
Like the changes of our life?
And may not the storms arise
In the quiet of our skies?
And the folds of darkness roll
O'er the radiance of the soul?
And the gladness of the heart,
Like a flash of light depart?
Far above the drifting clouds,
Nought the perfect lustre shrouds:
And the sheeting sunlight there
Fills the blue untroubled air:
So the spirit shall be clear
From the mists that dim it here,
And above the gloom of night,
Spring into eternal light.
SUNSHINE AND STORMS.
Look upon the clouds that lie
Pillowed on the far off sky,
So resplendent and serene
That they hardly dim its sheen
Look upon the sparkling deep,
Where the golden sunbeams sleep,
And across the waters bright,
Braid their quivering lines of light.
Yet the spirit of the storm
Marks his elemental form
Underneath this seeming rest,
Which is over nature's breast;
And a day will scarcely pass,
Ere a dark and heavy mass
Will beneath the sunshine spread,
Like a canopy of lead.
And the shrieking gale will fly,
Trailing vapors through the sky!
And the waves will crowd and roar
To the rock engirdled shore!
And the rustling forest swing
To this tempest's mighty wing!
And the ocean and the land
Feel the fury of his hand!
Is not this alternate strife
Like the changes of our life?
And may not the storms arise
In the quiet of our skies?
And the folds of darkness roll
O'er the radiance of the soul?
And the gladness of the heart,
Like a flash of light depart?
Far above the drifting clouds,
Nought the perfect lustre shrouds:
And the sheeting sunlight there
Fills the blue untroubled air:
So the spirit shall be clear
From the mists that dim it here,
And above the gloom of night,
Spring into eternal light.
What sub-type of article is it?
Ode
Pastoral
What themes does it cover?
Nature Seasons
Religious Faith
What keywords are associated?
Sunshine Storms
Nature Analogy
Life Changes
Eternal Light
Soul Radiance
Poem Details
Title
Sunshine And Storms.
Form / Style
Rhymed Quatrains In Iambic Tetrameter
Key Lines
Is Not This Alternate Strife
Like The Changes Of Our Life?
So The Spirit Shall Be Clear
From The Mists That Dim It Here,
And Above The Gloom Of Night,
Spring Into Eternal Light.