The Word

by


This poem was written in 1865, shortly after the Civil War, published in her biography, Julia Ward Howe (1819-1910), which earned Laura E. Richards and Maud Howe Elliott the Pulitzer Prize in 1917.
Had I one of thy words, my Master,
With a spirit and tone of thine,
I would run to the farthest Indies
To scatter the joy divine.

I would waken the frozen ocean
With a billowy burst of joy:
Stir the ships at their grim ice-moorings
The summer passes by.

I would enter court and hovel,
Forgetful of mien or dress,
With a treasure that all should ask for,
An errand that all should bless.

I seek for thy words, my Master,
With a spelling vexed and slow:
With scanty illuminations
In an alphabet of woe.

But while I am searching, scanning
A lesson none ask to hear,
My life writeth out thy sentence
Divinely just and dear.

You may also enjoy reading the works of Howe's daughter, Laura E. Richards.


Rate this Poem:

Crowd Score: 7.0



Add The Word to your library.

Return to the Julia Ward Howe library , or . . . Read the next poem; Women Who Weave in Hope the Daily Web

© 2024 AmericanLiterature.com