Classic Poem

He caught the words which ocean thunders hurled
On heedless eastern coasts in days gone by,
And to his dreams the ever-westering sky
The ensign of a glorious hope unfurled;
So, onward to the line of mists which curled
Around the setting sun, with steadfast eye,
He pushed his course; and, trusting God on high,
Threw wide the portals of a larger world.

The heart that watched through those drear autumn nights
The wide, dark sea, and man's new empire sought,
Alone, uncheered, hath wrought a deed sublime,
Which, like a star behind the polar lights,
Will shine through splendours of man's utmost thought
Down golden eras to the end of time.