O for a soul surrendered of all guile! <br />A plain white soul with nothing on it writ, <br />No creed of mockery to make men smile, <br />No boast of wisdom travestied as wit; <br />Only a clean soul where the infinite <br />Calm of the heavens, as on some tropic isle, <br />Should have looked down and on the face of it, <br />Inscribed in sunlight, ``Nothing here was vile.'' <br />--Thus to my life I argue it to--day, <br />Thus chide my heart its too long vanity, <br />Its lawless strength, its insolence of play, <br />Its ancient rage of storm--tossed chivalry. <br />And yet, God wot, should Love's wind breathe my way, <br />My heart would rise still, a tumultuous Sea.<br /><br />Wilfrid Scawen Blunt<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/o-for-a-soul/
