Watchwords from John Boyle O'Reilly . XXIV <££timate* beginning, not an end. From the $ ^4 closing lines, When God gives to us the clearest sight,He does not touch our eyes with Love, but Sorrow ; stretches over a decadeof years a strong but in-visible thread which joinsthem to what are almost his latest written words :\ The sweetest happiness we*, ever know, the very wine of[ human life, comes not from love, but from sacrifice. He published compara-tively little subjective poet- ry but in his narrative poems and poems of greatcauses, the sincerity of theman could allow of no illus-trations
Watchwords from John Boyle O'Reilly . XXIV <££timate* beginning, not an end. From the $ ^4 closing lines, When God gives to us the clearest sight,He does not touch our eyes with Love, but Sorrow ; stretches over a decadeof years a strong but in-visible thread which joinsthem to what are almost his latest written words :\ The sweetest happiness we*, ever know, the very wine of[ human life, comes not from love, but from sacrifice. He published compara-tively little subjective poet- ry but in his narrative poems and poems of greatcauses, the sincerity of theman could allow of no illus-trations save those whichwere the outcome of per-rj% sonal experience; so thatthere are many patheticsubjective touches in hispoems the most distinctly €£timate* JvV In the little poem appended, wethink Boyle OReilly hastouched the high - watermark of his lyrical calls it A TRAGEDY. A soft-breasted bird from the seaFell in love with the light-house flame; And it wheeled round the towerwith the airiest wing, And floated and cried like alove-lorn thing; It brooded all clay and it flut-tered all night, But could win no look fromthe steadfast light. &» K»~ -3*4 3-jAl i <jj ~M For the flame had its heart afar, —Afar with the ships at sea;It was thinking of children and waiting wives,And darkness and danger to sailors lives;But the bird had its tender bosom pressedOn the glass where at last it dashed its light only flickered, the brighter to glow;But the bird lay dead on the rocks below. L^a J
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, bookidwatchwordsfr, bookyear1891
