Classic Poem

AN UNFINISHED MAIN BUILDING

Not yet complete,—the hall we rear,
 O Learning, to thy shrine;
Not yet complete,—our character,
 To match the mould divine.

But wall, and architrave, and dome,—
 As stone on stone we raise,—
A finished temple shall become,
 Built for Jehovah's praise.

And year by year shall many a soul,
 Like marble from the mine,
Polished, and set,—a perfect whole,—
 In holy beauty shine.

As arch, and pinnacle, and spire
 Point upward to the skies,
O living souls, grandly aspire
 To shine in Paradise!