Alfred H. Miles, ed. The Sacred Poets of the Nineteenth Century. 1907.
By Verse Musings on Nature, Faith, and Freedom (1889). I. Faith. I. On Defining GodJohn Owen (18361896)
O
That seems to close around our human view,
And ends by sun and star
Our keenest survey of those heavens afar.
False is the specious tale our senses tell;
That is no azure sky,
Or solid vault, that meets our lifted eye.
The background of the sun or starry maze,
Is but blue-tinted light
That veils from us the aërial infinite.
Great heaven’s immensity by verbal sign,
We act as though our bent
Were here again to feign a firmament.
And deem therewith we see God face to face.
Poor fools, and blind; not seeing
Our words but mask and hide His unsearched Being.