O ALTITUDO! BY SARAH N. CLEGHORN Into the loud surf, Down over the sands of safety, Crouch and spring, hurtle and roar. Dizzily I dive through them, Suddenly I am in the clear water, The buoyant and calm water On the far side of courage. TO HIS HEART, BIDDING IT HAVE NO FEAR BY WILLIAM BUTLER YEATS Be you still, be you still, trembling heart; JONNË ARMSTRONG (OLD BALLAD) There dwelt a man in faire Westmerland, He had horse and harness for them all, Newes then was brought unto the king That lived lyke a bold out-law, And robbed all the north country. The king he writt a letter then, A letter which was large and long; He signed it with his owne hand, And he promised to doe him no wrong. When this letter came Jonnë untill, His heart was as blyth as birds on the tree: "Never was I sent for before any king, My father, my grandfather, nor none but mee. "And if wee goe the king before, I would wee went most orderly; Every man of you shall have his scarlet cloak, Laced with silver laces three. "Every won of you shall have his velvett coat, O the golden bands an about your necks, By the morrow morninge at ten of the clock, And with him all his eight score men; Good lord, it was a goodly sight for to see! When Jonne came befower the king, "O pardon, my soveraine leige," he said, "Thou shalt have no pardon, thou traytor strong, For thy eight score men nor thee; For to-morrow morning by ten of the clock, But Jonnë looked over his left shoulder, Good Lord, what a grevious look looked hee! But Jonne had a bright sword by his side, He had smitten his head from his faire boddee. Saying, "Fight on, my merry men all, Then, God wott, faire Edenburough rose, Then like a mad man Jonnë laid about, Saying, "Fight on my merry men all, I am a little hurt, but I am not slain; PROSPICE BY ROBERT BROWNING Fear death? to feel the fog in my throat, When the snows begin, and the blasts denote The power of the night, the press of the storm, Where he stands, the Arch Fear in a visible form, For the journey is done and the summit attain'd, Though a battle's to fight ere the guerdon be gain'd, I was ever a fighter, so-one fight more, The best and the last! I would hate that death bandaged my eyes, and forbore, And bade me creep past. No! let me taste the whole of it, fare like my peers The heroes of old, Bear the brunt, in a minute pay glad life's arrears Of pain, darkness and cold. For sudden the worst turns the best to the brave, The black minute's at end, And the elements' rage, the fiend-voices that rave, Shall dwindle, shall blend, Shall change, shall become first a peace out of pain, O thou soul of my soul! I shall clasp thee again, LAST LINES BY EMILY BRONTË No coward soul is mine, No trembler in the world's storm-troubled sphere: |