<html xmlns:tei="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0"><body><h1 align="center" class="head">To Love</h1><div class="stanza"><p class="line">LOVE, to the little-loving nebulous Thou appearest:</p><p class="line">Their eyes worship not Thee. Now that I get Thy range</p><p class="line">How beyond belief exquisite is Thy form!</p><p class="line">Thou starry Light-bearer, young-eyed Child of the Morning,</p><p class="line">Impartest the purposeful meaning of the Creation</p><p class="line">To the learners of Thee.--O Joy everlasting,</p><p class="line">We that learn Thee are one joy, one composite glory--</p><p class="line">As a golden Dandelion, all our florets together</p><p class="line">One flower in a field! As the sun, heavenly Dandelion,</p><p class="line">Rays light forever out recklessly, keeps no account of it,</p><p class="line">What he means is to shine, God help him!--so is the lover.</p><p class="line">So is the man raised up in Thee to the power of his manhood,</p><p class="line">Stedfastly golden, resplendent, joy-outpouring.</p><p class="line">Yea, as the god-like Sun, that Unit of Lovers</p><p class="line">Stablished in heaven to radiate earth-impregnating joy,</p><p class="line">Are we Thy learners, together his fellow, the Company</p><p class="line">Of Them that Beget Delight . . .</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">To beget a love-child who would not give the price Earth asks?</p><p class="line">But O, blessèd are they that, loving, beget the invisible</p><p class="line">Form of Thy pure power, mighty deliverer,</p><p class="line">Spirit of Sunshine!--</p><p class="line">Apart from Thee, Love, Power is a monster.</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Empty of value.</p><p class="line">Vain all the wealth of nations, if it be not for</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Thy spending:</p><p class="line">Wasted the resolute toil of a people not learnèd in Thee.--</p><p class="line">Thine is fruition. There is no joy but rejoiceth in Thee.--</p><p class="line">Love, lacking Thee, the ages miscarry. Their gathered-up knowledge</p><p class="line">Is naught, for without Thee Truth is not.--</p><p class="line">Thou alone knowest the whole use of the world.--</p><p class="line">The use of the world is at last Thy joy that abides:</p><p class="line">Substance eternal, ether irradiant with the complete</p><p class="line">Purpose of an inexhaustible life outpoured.--</p><p class="line">He who carries the wonder within him knows it divine.--</p><p class="line">Thou, Love, alone settest free.--I feel Thy passion</p><p class="line">Patiently gather within me: Thy procreant power grow</p><p class="line">Sure in me of its sanctity: not-to-be-thwarted: god-like:</p><p class="line">All of me handling with calm clear eyes of decision :</p><p class="line">Pouring my life forth with a Hand that is yet my hand.--</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">Thou duly directest the crawling caterpillar,</p><p class="line">Else a vain destroyer of delicate promises,</p><p class="line">Eater of buds:--Thou transformest him into an airy carrier</p><p class="line">To and fro in the fields of the flowers' messages.</p><p class="line">It is only toward Thee at last that Desire emerges</p><p class="line">Out of its chrysalis into the light on wings.--</p><p class="line">Thou createst a whole out of this confusion of parts,</p><p class="line">In Thee the excesses of passion that are not wholesome for life</p><p class="line">Are justified: they come at last to their measure in Thee.</p><p class="line">Infinite Thy demand, O Love, as the infinite blind</p><p class="line">Urge of unuttered longing: wild, pent-up to madness:</p><p class="line">Fiery mouth not to be quenched at dear lips: whose kisses</p><p class="line">Poison its love, till Thou, God, overpowering</p><p class="line">That stormy power with Thy purpose, yoke it, exuberant</p><p class="line">To Thy task of creating Joy not less but more passionate.--</p><p class="line">Thou givest eyes to Desire.--All my meaningless parts</p><p class="line">Love, when thou touchest me, Thou sanctifiest with sight.--</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">Thou makest whole that takest not less than all that I can be.</p><p class="line">That only Thou ownest for Thine wherein a man pledges</p><p class="line">Body and soul and spirit in one passion, holding</p><p class="line">Earth for his witness and the eternal stars.--</p><p class="line">When I began to love, and felt my soul going forth</p><p class="line">Away from me to the Unknown, I was afraid to be squandered,--</p><p class="line">So many a greedy mouth: many a snatching hunger!--</p><p class="line">After, I feared lest this that was precious only for spending,</p><p class="line">Life's own seed, in me hoarded remain, and perish.</p><p class="line">Of Thee less ignorant now, I fear either death no longer.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">Immanent in our loving, Thou transcendest, O Love, our passion:</p><p class="line">All of our love together is but a little of Thee.--</p><p class="line">Within Thine orb, as within the all-circling horizon,</p><p class="line">Each of my passionate loves shines in his place, secure:</p><p class="line">Ever-sustainer of loveliness, world-enamouring presence,</p><p class="line">Loving them, I give worship, O not to them, but to Thee.</p><p class="line">Thou fulfillest, O Love, my entire manhood with praise.</p><p class="line">Thou art as the Sun. Thou beholdest the ugly secrets of shame</p><p class="line">Averting not thence Thy clear eyes: changing not into hatred</p><p class="line">Their undismayed regard.--Derelict, desert-defeated,</p><p class="line">The poor pilgrim of life in his last extremity</p><p class="line">Catches that wonderful gaze and on the instant forgets</p><p class="line">His dismay at the cries of the flocking heavy-winged birds.</p><p class="line">As with the triumphing choral of the great Ninth Symphony</p><p class="line">Joy breaks out of his torn body to Thy embrace.--</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">Who now shall sustain the lad, the soldier descending,</p><p class="line">Snatched like Koré the Maid from an April world, down</p><p class="line">Into the bowels of death, into the underworld air,</p><p class="line">There to do battle, to make corpses with his young hands--?</p><p class="line">Only Thou art sufficient, down in that place, to keep</p><p class="line">His spirit alive. Day-spring of beauty inexhaustible,</p><p class="line">Love Divine, in whose Almighty power I uphold him.--</p><p class="line">When I forget Thee, how helpless my love is of succour!</p><p class="line">Love is a pitiful thing once it is parted from Thee.</p></div></body></html> · Great War