Poet! if on a lasting fame be bent <br />Thy unperturbing hopes, thou will not roam <br />Too far from thine own happy heart and home; <br />Cling to the lowly earth, and be content! <br />So shall thy name be dear to many a heart; <br />So shall the noblest truths by thee be taught; <br />The flower and fruit of wholesome human thought <br />Bless the sweet labors of thy gentle art. <br />The brightest stars are nearest to the earth, <br />And we may track the mighty sun above, <br />Even by the shadow of a slender flower. <br />Always, O bard, humility is power! <br />And thou mayst draw from matters of the hearth <br />Truths wide as nations, and as deep as love.<br /><br />Henry Timrod<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/sonnet-01-3/
