The Seraph and Poet

The Seraph and Poet

THE seraph sings before the manifest

God-One, and in the burning of the Seven,

And with the full life of consummate

Heaving beneath him like a mothers

Warm with her first-borns slumber in that

The poet sings upon the earth grave-riven,

Before the naughty world, soon self-forgiven

For wronging him,--and in the darkness prest

From his own soul by worldly weights.

Even so,

Sing, seraph with the glory ! heaven is high;

Sing, poet with the sorrow ! earth is low:

The universes inward voices cry

Amen to either song of joy and woe:

Sing, seraph,--poet,--sing on equally !

Elizabeth Barrett Browning