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Poem
July 13, 1891
Evening Capital
Annapolis, Anne Arundel County, Maryland
What is this article about?
A lyrical poem meditating on the threshold of sleep as a gateway between life and death, where the soul briefly ventures into mystery but returns without insight, emphasizing the solitude required to uncover its secrets.
Clipping
OCR Quality
95%
Excellent
Full Text
THE GATE OF SLEEP.
Lying between the dusk and dawn of night
Upon the borders of the sea of sleep.
Lo, oft there cometh in the fading light
The break of surges in the eternal deep.
The soul of me swims out across the space
That yawns between the pulse of life and death:
The senses fail: the spirit seeks its place
With those that dwell beyond the gates of breath.
A touch, a start; the passing power is broken;
The soul is moveless midway in its flight;
The body claims it, and there is no token
Brought from out that haven of the night.
If I could hold the light that on me grows
When o'er the brink of sleep my spirit speeds,
Then could I voice the mystery that flows
Twixt life and death, 'tween truth and human creeds.
But lo! upon the sacred door of sleep
There is a graven law of import high:
He who would sound the secrets of this deep
Must lay him down in solitude to die."
-W. J. Henderson.
Lying between the dusk and dawn of night
Upon the borders of the sea of sleep.
Lo, oft there cometh in the fading light
The break of surges in the eternal deep.
The soul of me swims out across the space
That yawns between the pulse of life and death:
The senses fail: the spirit seeks its place
With those that dwell beyond the gates of breath.
A touch, a start; the passing power is broken;
The soul is moveless midway in its flight;
The body claims it, and there is no token
Brought from out that haven of the night.
If I could hold the light that on me grows
When o'er the brink of sleep my spirit speeds,
Then could I voice the mystery that flows
Twixt life and death, 'tween truth and human creeds.
But lo! upon the sacred door of sleep
There is a graven law of import high:
He who would sound the secrets of this deep
Must lay him down in solitude to die."
-W. J. Henderson.
What sub-type of article is it?
Ode
What themes does it cover?
Death Mourning
Religious Faith
What keywords are associated?
Sleep
Death
Soul
Mystery
Night
Spirit
What entities or persons were involved?
W. J. Henderson.
Poem Details
Title
The Gate Of Sleep.
Author
W. J. Henderson.
Key Lines
The Soul Of Me Swims Out Across The Space
That Yawns Between The Pulse Of Life And Death:
If I Could Hold The Light That On Me Grows
When O'er The Brink Of Sleep My Spirit Speeds,
He Who Would Sound The Secrets Of This Deep
Must Lay Him Down In Solitude To Die.