The Vision of Sir Launfal

The lily is an emblem, And the rose is, too, And every one of nature’s forms Are significant and true. What more can the poet show, In all he tells us weight? Tread not lightly, or hope to meet, Nature’s soft yet staunch gait.

Don’t forget the rest of the world, Turn a glance toward the sky, Let the sunlight fade to burn When the dusk is nigh. So goes the vision so bright, Of the enchanted and bold, For nature’s heart relives All tales manifold.

• James Russell Lowell