Bliss Carman, et al., eds. The World’s Best Poetry. 1904.
I. The Divine Element(God, Christ, the Holy Spirit)Strong Son of God, immortal Love
Alfred, Lord Tennyson (18091892)S
Whom we, that have not seen thy face,
By faith, and faith alone, embrace,
Believing where we cannot prove;
Thou madest Life in man and brute;
Thou madest Death; and lo, thy foot
Is on the skull which thou hast made.
Thou madest man, he knows not why;
He thinks he was not made to die;
And thou hast made him: thou art just.
The highest, holiest manhood, thou:
Our wills are ours, we know not how;
Our wills are ours, to make them thine.
They have their day and cease to be:
They are but broken lights of thee,
And thou, O Lord, art more than they.
For knowledge is of things we see;
And yet we trust it comes from thee,
A beam in darkness: let it grow.
But more of reverence in us dwell;
That mind and soul, according well,
May make one music as before,
We mock thee when we do not fear:
But help thy foolish ones to bear;
Help thy vain worlds to bear thy light.
What seemed my worth since I began;
For merit lives from man to man,
And not from man, O Lord, to thee.
Thy creature, whom I found so fair.
I trust he lives in thee, and there
I find him worthier to be loved.
Confusions of a wasted youth;
Forgive them where they fail in truth,
And in thy wisdom make me wise.