Harriet Martineau (1802-1876). II. "Beneath this starry arch." Alfred H. Miles, ed. 1907. The Sacred Poets of the Nineteenth Century

Alfred H. Miles, ed. The Sacred Poets of the Nineteenth Century. 1907.

II. “Beneath this starry arch”

By Harriet Martineau (1802–1876)


BENEATH this starry arch
Nought resteth or is still;
But all things hold their march,
As if by one great will:
Moves one, move all:	5
Hark to the footfall!
On, on, for ever!

Yon sheaves were once but seed:
Will ripens into deed.
As cave-drops swell the streams,	10
Day-thoughts feed nightly dreams;
And sorrow tracketh wrong,
As echo follows song.
On, on, for ever!

By night, like stars on high,	15
The hours reveal their train;
They whisper, and go by;
I never watch in vain:
Moves one, move all:
Hark to the footfall!	20
On, on, for ever!

They pass the cradle-head,
And there a promise shed;
They pass the moist new grave,
And bid rank verdure wave;	25
They bear through every clime
The harvests of all time,
On, on, for ever!