The Test

Item

The Test

Love has moods: and I am cold,

Very cold ofttimes to Thee;

Fain to slip from Thy dear hold

To my follies and be free.

Yet I love: Thou knowest all.

I am Thine in heat and chill;

Thou, Thou hast my heart in thrall,

All my life and all my will.

Thou, Immortal Lover, sure

Knowest the way that lovers have,

Now so cold, afraid, unsure,

Now afire with love and brave.

If I loved less it might be

That the way was smoother, less

Of the heavenly joys for me

And the cast-down bitterness.

I am cold -- be that Love's proof! --

And I burn -- the proof again! --

I would not be smooth but rough

Lest the smoother love should wane.

Give me earth or Heaven -- and yet

If it is Love's test to swing

'Twixt the earth and Heaven still set --

I -- I ask no other thing.

Title
The Test
Identifier
greatwar_herb057
Item sets
Herb o' Grace
Media
<html xmlns:tei="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0"><body><h1 align="center" class="head">The Test</h1><div class="stanza"><p class="line"><span class="smallcaps">Love</span> has moods: and I am cold,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Very cold ofttimes to Thee;</p><p class="line">Fain to slip from Thy dear hold</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">To my follies and be free.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">Yet I love: Thou knowest all.</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">I am Thine in heat and chill;</p><p class="line">Thou, Thou hast my heart in thrall,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">All my life and all my will.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">Thou, Immortal Lover, sure</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Knowest the way that lovers have,</p><p class="line">Now so cold, afraid, unsure,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Now afire with love and brave.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">If I loved less it might be</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">That the way was smoother, less</p><p class="line">Of the heavenly joys for me</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">And the cast-down bitterness.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">I am cold -- be that Love's proof! --</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">And I burn -- the proof again! --</p><p class="line">I would not be smooth but rough</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Lest the smoother love should wane.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">Give me earth or Heaven -- and yet</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">If it is Love's test to swing</p><p class="line">'Twixt the earth and Heaven still set --</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">I -- I ask no other thing.</p></div></body></html>