Life

Henry Van Dyke 1852 (Germantown, Pennsylvania) – 1933 (Princeton, New Jersey)



Let me but live my life from year to year,
With forward face and unreluctant soul;
Not hurrying to, nor turning from the goal;
Not mourning for the things that disappear
In the dim past, nor holding back in fear
From what the future veils; but with a whole
And happy heart, that pays its toll
To Youth and Age, and travels on with cheer.

So let the way wind up the hill or down,
O'er rough or smooth, the journey will be joy:
Still seeking what I sought when but a boy,
New friendship, high adventure, and a crown,
My heart will keep the courage of the quest,
And hope the road's last turn will be the best.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 24, 2023

36 sec read
225

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABBAABBA CDDCEE
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 615
Words 121
Stanzas 2
Stanza Lengths 8, 6

Henry Van Dyke

Henry Jackson van Dyke was an American author, educator, and clergyman. more…

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