Aspiration

Henrietta Cordelia Ray 1852 (New York City) – 1916 (New York City)



We climb the slopes of life with throbbing heart,
And eager pulse, like children toward a star.
Sweet siren music cometh from afar,
To lure us on meanwhile. Responsive start
The nightingales to richer song than Art
Can ever teach. No passing shadows mar
Awhile the dewy skies; no inner jar
Of conflict bids us with our quest to part.
We see adown the distance, rainbow-arched,
What melting aisles of liquid light and bloom!
We hasten, tremulous, with lips all parched,
And eyes wide-stretched, nor dream of coming gloom.
Enough that something held almost divine
Within us ever stirs. Can we repine?
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Submitted by halel on July 13, 2020

Modified on May 03, 2023

30 sec read
87

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABBAABBACDCDEE
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 585
Words 102
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 14

Henrietta Cordelia Ray

Henrietta Cordelia Ray (August 30, 1852 – 1916) was an African-American poet and teacher, most commonly known as Cordelia Ray. She was the sister of Charlotte E. Ray. more…

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