POSTHUMOUS POEMS
Nor all of these nor any among these
Make a man's best, but rather loss and strife,
Failure, endurance, and high scorn of ease,
Love strong as death and valour strong as love;
Therefore among the winter-wasted seas,
No flaw being found upon them to reprove,—
These whom God's grace, calling them one by one,
In unknown ways did patiently remove,
To have new heaven and earth, new air and sun,—
These chose the best, therefore their name shall be
Part of all noble things that shall be done,
Part of the royal record of the sea.
Make a man's best, but rather loss and strife,
Failure, endurance, and high scorn of ease,
Love strong as death and valour strong as love;
Therefore among the winter-wasted seas,
No flaw being found upon them to reprove,—
These whom God's grace, calling them one by one,
In unknown ways did patiently remove,
To have new heaven and earth, new air and sun,—
These chose the best, therefore their name shall be
Part of all noble things that shall be done,
Part of the royal record of the sea.
1858.
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