And never did its beauty strike before,

As now, when lost in thought, you contemplate

The shadow on the lawn. The golden rays

That flood it, make it higher, nobler, and

Its shadow ever greater, till the night

Calls forth the moon, to make it deep and weird

As if unspoken pain had darkened it,

As if the silvery paleness of the moon

Sharpened its features into hardness almost.

Behold the shadow of thy life! Look well if

It be a threshold that reveals the strong

Unbending will, the height of all your aims,

Your passions' darkness, and the harmony

Of all the branches that were put into

{34}

Your care! Look at the shadow when your day

Is done, and winter's moon will draw its line

In naked truth, without the flattering leaves

Upon your windingsheet's unruffled snow.

{35}

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