The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-05-24
THE POETS AIM.

.
With songs Of sadness and of mirth.
That they might toIch the hearts OF mon.
And bring them back to Heaven again.
SO spake New England's poet sage.
Than whom nous better show our age.
Wherein the power Of song doth lie
To chsrm. to guide. TO purify.
He whose ear. with rapt delight.
Heard the voices Of the night
Who Of Europ- 'spaesy wreath doth twine-
He who wrote "EvangeliIe
True his words snd reasoned we'll,
The poets ain they rightly tell;
High duty hath the hopored bard.
Noble his task Asd his reward:
Inspired with truth from Heaven 10 ne
The prophet Of Humanity.
lis his to stand with awe.struck eye.
To yisT the earth. ,hs sea and sky:
Their meaning hid, his rhymes rehesrse
The secrets Of the Universe.
Flowers or Spring ara passing fair;
Leaves of Spring are green and gay;
Sweet'the song OF birds in air,
Earth 10 keeping holiday.
Summef Winds are soft and mild.
Summer clouds are grandly piled,
MnrmariDg brook make pleatant tune
Through the leafy woods Of June.
Grand OctOber's midnight sky,
CctObers forests gorgeous lie,
Rich the fruits Of Autumn come,
Gay thu gladstone harvest home
Earth sghs for the dying yesr;
White comes with snowy pail.
Sleet and storm enyelOp ali;
Buried now Is B-anty.s reign,
Spring shall raise 1t up again:
The sky, the earth and ocean fair
But the types and shadows are
OF thoughts through nature spread abroa1,
Ideas f ON the mind Of God.
These through their veil the Poet sees.
Reveals them in his minstrelses:
Lest the sons Of men should err,
Hes Natures true Interpreter.
Oceans vastness, thunders "aling.
Nights dusky, star-bespaEgled wall.
Suns and worlds through ether wheeling,
He is Seer and Lord Of all.
His backward glance Creations morning,
Natal cay Of time. m scan.
When new born orbs the b aven's adjoining.
First their course OF beauty ran.
'Tranced he views each constellation,
Brightly gem the midni ght sky,
Pouric 6 hottest inspiration
On true hearts that meath them lie
Upward to their thrones OF glory,
His heart a ceaseless homage pays.
Their might rehes rseth in his story.
Tells the SONS Of men their praise.
The Poets eye true insight gains
For human natures joys and pains
1t pomp and power, its coward fears.
It's glorious hopes. its anguished tears.
He tells the deeds of heroes old.
of wars snd conqnests manifold,
The glorious tale of Troy divine.
OF Thebes and Prlop's sceptered line.
OF Red Gross Knights In emprise high.
And bold exploits OF ohivslry.
Or, turning to darker path.
He tells or MArmion's stormy wrath
OF Hamlet's vengeance keen and whole;
Othello's treaohery -frenzied soul
Ophelis's woes unhealcd BY time.
Lear's despair IA Macbeth's crime:
Or. - his Tyre notes onward roll.
Center visions All his soul
Bonnie. A.maNY pure md calm.
And Una with her milk white lamb;
On Kinda he nay AZ his eyes.
Or vieM the I've Of Paradise
With Ellen Of the Lake may tarry.
Or love the Asae Of Highland Mary;
Or, in philoscphic vein.
He may pour thu varied strain
The gAthered wisdom years can bring
He may inpart 10 men-may ding,
Like diamond dust his thoughts sbr0ad.
OF good and i'll, Of Life and God
May stir the heart with trumpet tone.
II legends # shs Is, .ss az on 1e;,..
OF love Of count y In his lays
Msulike for. the truth to fight, .-r
And bold y combat for the right
To labor on, and mid the free
Practice obedience, loyalty.
lis his to raise the droopirg heart,
And nerve the tagging arm for strife
To bid our timid fears depart.
And ut us FOR the work Of lfe,-
From things Of earth TO raise our souls.
And fix our thoughts on high,
To strive tow'rd Heaven. tat DER us rolls,
In worlds beyond the sky.
Such the Poets task aud aim,
In every era st1 he same
right in the sky of Mind they shine,
The Muses. Sons. Heaven-sent line.