Classic Poem

Great Painter! to thy soul aglow with thought,
Celestial forms their glory did reveal.
Not unrewarded wast thou left to kneel
At Beauty's sacred altar; not for naught
Thy gift of consecration hadst thou brought.
We see thee pensive, radiant, and there steal
Soft shadows, mystic lights; th' angelic seal
Is on thy dreamy brow; thy soul hath caught
The essence of the harmony it craved.
Behold the Mother and the Child Divine!
What rapt repose! what majesty serene!
Thy spirit tuned to contemplation, laved
In founts of light. For thee we would entwine
The asphodel bright with celestial sheen.