Classic Poem

Now to my task:—be firm,—the work requires
Cool reason, deep reflection,—and the glow
Of heart, that pours itself in restless flow,
Must sleep, and fancy quench her beaming fires,
And all my longings, hopes, and wild desires
Must seek their slumberous pillow and be still;
But energy must mantle o'er my will,
And give the patient toil that never tires:
For Nature stands before me, and invites
My spirit to her sanctuary, and draws
Aside her pictured veil, from where she writes
In living letters her eternal laws;
And as I stand amid the countless wheels,
That roll the car of being on its way,
A deep serene my silent bosom feels,
I seem a portion of the viewless ray,
And o'er me flows the light of pure, unfading day.