A gallery of famous English and American poets . timbers with greatest care ;Of all that is unsound beware!For only what is sound and strongTo this vessel shall of Maine and Georgia pine Here toErether shall combine. o A goodly frame, and a goodly fame,And the Union be her name !For the day that gives her to the seaShall give my daughter unto thee! The Masters word Enraptured the young man heard; And as he turned his face aside. With a look of joy and a thrill of pride. Standing before Her fathers door, He saw the form of his promised bride. The sun shone on her golden hair. And h
A gallery of famous English and American poets . timbers with greatest care ;Of all that is unsound beware!For only what is sound and strongTo this vessel shall of Maine and Georgia pine Here toErether shall combine. o A goodly frame, and a goodly fame,And the Union be her name !For the day that gives her to the seaShall give my daughter unto thee! The Masters word Enraptured the young man heard; And as he turned his face aside. With a look of joy and a thrill of pride. Standing before Her fathers door, He saw the form of his promised bride. The sun shone on her golden hair. And her cheek was glowing fresh and fair. With the breath of morn and the soft sea air. Like a beauteous barge was she, Still at rest on the sandy beach, Just beyond the billows reach ; But he Was the restless, seething, stormy sea I Ah, how skilful grows the handThat obeyeth Loves command! THE BUILDING OF TIIK SHIP. 391 It is the lioavt, and not the bruin,That to the. liighcst doth attain,And he who followeth Loves behestPar exceedeth all the rest!. Thus with the rising of the sunWas the noble task begun. 392 LONGFELLOW. And soon throughout the ship-yards bounds Were heard the intermingled sounds Of axes and of mallets, plied With vigorous arms on every side ; Plied so deftly and so well, That, ere the shadows of evening fell, The keel of oak for a noble ship Scarfed and bolted, straight and strong, Was lying ready, and stretched along The blocks, well placed upon the slip. Happy, thrice happy, every one Who sees his labor well begun, And not perplexed and multiplied By idly waiting for time and tide 1 And when the hot, long day was oer, The young man at the Masters door Sat with the maiden calm and still. And within the porch, a little more Removed beyond the evening chill. The father sat, and told them tales Of wrecks in the great September gales, Of pirates upon the Spanish Main, And ships that never came back again, The chance and change of a sailors life. Want and plenty, rest
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, booksu, booksubjectenglishpoetry
