Poetical Works of Matthew Arnold Part 35

So, in its lovely moonlight, lives the soul.

Mountains surround it, and sweet virgin air; Cold plashing, past it, crystal waters roll; We visit it by moments, ah, too rare!

We shall renew the battle in the plain To-morrow;--red with blood will Xanthus be; Hector and Ajax will be there again, Helen will come upon the wall to see.

Then we shall rust in shade, or shine in strife, And fluctuate 'twixt blind hopes and blind despairs, And fancy that we put forth all our life, And never know how with the soul it fares.

Still doth the soul, from its lone fastness high, Upon our life a ruling effluence send.

And when it fails, fight as we will, we die; And while it lasts, we cannot wholly end.

PROGRESS

The Master stood upon the mount, and taught.

He saw a fire in his disciples' eyes; "The old law," they cried, "is wholly come to nought, Behold the new world rise!"

"Was it," the Lord then said, "with scorn ye saw The old law observed by Scribes and Pharisees?

I say unto you, see _ye_ keep that law More faithfully than these!

"Too hasty heads for ordering worlds, alas!

Think not that I to annul the law have will'd; No jot, no t.i.ttle from the law shall pa.s.s, Till all have been fulfill'd."

So Christ said eighteen hundred years ago.

And what then shall be said to those to-day, Who cry aloud to lay the old world low To clear the new world's way?

"Religious fervours! ardour misapplied!

Hence, hence," they cry, "ye do but keep man blind!

But keep him self-immersed, preoccupied, And lame the active mind!"

Ah! from the old world let some one answer give: "Scorn ye this world, their tears, their inward cares?

I say unto you, see that _your_ souls live A deeper life than theirs!

"Say ye: 'The spirit of man has found new roads, And we must leave the old faiths, and walk therein'?-- Leave then the Cross as ye have left carved G.o.ds, But guard the fire within!

"Bright else and fast the stream of life may roll, And no man may the other's hurt behold; Yet each will have one anguish--his own soul Which perishes of cold."

Here let that voice make end; then, let a strain, From a far lonelier distance, like the wind Be heard, floating through heaven, and fill again These men's profoundest mind:

"Children of men! the unseen Power, whose eye For ever doth accompany mankind, Hath look'd on no religion scornfully That men did ever find.

"Which has not taught weak wills how much they can?

Which has not fall'n on the dry heart like rain?

Which has not cried to sunk, self-weary man: _Thou must be born again!_

"Children of men! not that your age excel In pride of life the ages of your sires, But that ye think clear, feel deep, bear fruit well, The Friend of man desires."

REVOLUTIONS

Before man parted for this earthly strand, While yet upon the verge of heaven he stood, G.o.d put a heap of letters in his hand, And bade him make with them what word he could.

And man has turn'd them many times; made Greece, Rome, England, France;--yes, nor in vain essay'd Way after way, changes that never cease!

The letters have combined, something was made.

But ah! an inextinguishable sense Haunts him that he has not made what he should; That he has still, though old, to recommence, Since he has not yet found the word G.o.d would.

And empire after empire, at their height Of sway, have felt this boding sense come on; Have felt their huge frames not constructed right, And droop'd, and slowly died upon their throne.

One day, thou say'st, there will at last appear The word, the order, which G.o.d meant should be.

--Ah! we shall know _that_ well when it comes near; The band will quit man's heart, he will breathe free.

SELF-DEPENDENCE

Weary of myself, and sick of asking What I am, and what I ought to be, At this vessel's prow I stand, which bears me Forwards, forwards, o'er the starlit sea.

And a look of pa.s.sionate desire O'er the sea and to the stars I send: "Ye who from my childhood up have calm'd me, Calm me, ah, compose me to the end!

"Ah, once more," I cried, "ye stars, ye waters, On my heart your mighty charm renew; Still, still let me, as I gaze upon you, Feel my soul becoming vast like you!"

From the intense, clear, star-sown vault of heaven, Over the lit sea's unquiet way, In the rustling night-air came the answer: "Wouldst thou _be_ as these are? _Live_ as they.

"Unaffrighted by the silence round them, Undistracted by the sights they see, These demand not that the things without them Yield them love, amus.e.m.e.nt, sympathy.

"And with joy the stars perform their shining, And the sea its long moon-silver'd roll; For self-poised they live, nor pine with noting All the fever of some differing soul.

"Bounded by themselves, and unregardful In what state G.o.d's other works may be, In their own tasks all their powers pouring, These attain the mighty life you see."

O air-born voice! long since, severely clear, A cry like thine in mine own heart I hear: "Resolve to be thyself; and know that he, Who finds himself, loses his misery!"

MORALITY

We cannot kindle when we will The fire which in the heart resides; The spirit bloweth and is still, In mystery our soul abides.

But tasks in hours of insight will'd Can be through hours of gloom fulfill'd.

With aching hands and bleeding feet We dig and heap, lay stone on stone; We bear the burden and the heat Of the long day, and wish 'twere done.