“But Thee, but Thee, O sovereign Seer of time, But Thee, O poets' Poet, Wisdom's Tongue, But Thee, O man's best Man, O love's best Love, O perfect life in perfect labor writ, O all men's Comrade, Servant, King, or Priest, -- What IF or YET, what mole, what flaw, what lapse, What least defect or shadow of defect, What rumor, tattled by an enemy, Of inference loose, what lack of grace Even in torture's grasp, or sleep's, or death's -- Oh, what amiss may I forgive in Thee, Jesus, good Paragon, Thou Crystal Christ?” IfsMenMayJesusChristSleepPerfectEnemyGracePoetKingsShadowLaborForgivingTongueTheeServantTorturePriestsWhat IfFlawsSovereignDefectsRumorCrystalsBest LoveComradeLapsesInferenceSeersMolesPerfect LifeParagon Book:Poems of Sidney Lanier Source: Poems of Sidney Lanier
“If a man made himself an expert in any particular branch of human activity, there would result the strong tendency that a peculiar aptitude towards the same branch would be found among some of his descendants.” IfsMenHumansMadeWould BeFoundStrongResultsParticularActivityTendenciesExpertsBranchesPeculiarDescendantsHuman ActivityAptitude Author:Sidney Lanier
