Smoothing soft the nestling head
Of a maiden fancy-led,
Thus a grave-eyed woman said:
'Richest gifts are those we make,
Dearer than the love we take
That we give for love's own sake.
'Well I know the heart's unrest;
Mine has been the common quest,
To be loved and therefore blest.
'Favors undeserved were mine;
At my feet as on a shrine
Love has laid its gifts divine.
'Sweet the offerings seemed, and yet
With their sweetness came regret,
And a sense of unpaid debt.
'Heart of mine unsatisfied,
Was it vanity or pride
That a deeper joy denied?
'Hands that ope but to receive
Empty close; they only live
Richly who can richly give.
'Still,' she sighed, with moistening eyes,
'Love is sweet in any guise;
But its best is sacrifice!
'He who, giving, does not crave
Likest is to Him who gave
Life itself the loved to save.
'Love, that self-forgetful gives,
Sows surprise of ripened sheaves,
Late or soon its own receives.'
The Two Loves
John Greenleaf Whittier
(2)
Poem topics: joy, life, pride, woman, head, receive, sense, vanity, sake, grave, regret, divine, common, live, soft, save, heart, sweet, love, I love you, Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme
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