God's World, Edna St. Vincent Millay

[moireach.livejournal.com]

God's World
Edna St. Vincent-Millay

O world, I cannot hold thee close enough!
   Thy winds, thy wide grey skies!
   Thy mists, that roll and rise!
Thy woods, this autumn day, that ache and sag
And all but cry with colour! That gaunt crag
To crush! To lift the lean of that black bluff!
World, World, I cannot get thee close enough!

Long have I known a glory in it all,
          But never knew I this;
          Here such a passion is
As stretcheth me apart.  Lord, I do fear
Thou'st made the world too beautiful this year;
My soul is all but out of me,—-let fall
No burning leaf; prithee, let no bird call.

(My very favorite poem when I was in middle school; now it seems a little exclamation point-tastic, but I still love how it captures autumn.)

Comments

[marclemagne.livejournal.com]

I like this but you're right about the exclamation points! :)

[pyralid.livejournal.com]

Oh, the exclaimation ain't so bad; just a bit zealous. ;o)

I like this, even though it's not what I usually read. Very traditional, but still there's real loveliness behind the sentimental edges. Makes me want to sneak away with a line or two and wrap it up with new trappings.