AMBITION

    One day an obscure youth， a wanderer，

    Known but to few， lay musing¹ with himself

    About the chances of his future life.

    In that youth's heart， there dwelt the coal Ambition，

    Burning and glowing； and he asked himself，

    "Shall I， in time to come， be great and famed？"

    Now soon an answer wild and mystical

    Seemed to sound forth² from out the depths of air；

    And to the gazer's eye appeared a shape

    Like one as of a cloud - and thus it spoke³：

    "O， many a panting， noble heart

    Cherishes in its deep recess⁴

    The hope to win renown⁵ o'er earth

    From Glory's prized caress⁶.

    "And some will win that envied goal，

    And have their deeds known far and wide；

    And some - by far the most - will sink

    Down in oblivion's tide.

    "But thou， who visions bright dost cull⁷

    From the imagination's store，

    With dreams， such as the youthful dream

    Of grandeur⁸， love， and power，

    "Fanciest that thou shalt build a name

    And come to have the nations know

    What conscious might dwells in the brain

    That throbs⁹ beneath that brow？

    "And see thick countless¹⁰ ranks of men

    Fix upon thee their reverent¹¹ gaze -

    And listen to the plaudits loud

    To thee that thousands raise？

    "Weak， childish soul！ the very place

    That pride has made for folly's rest；

    What thoughts， with vanity all rife¹²，

    Fill up thy heaving breast！

    "At night， go view the solemn stars

    Those wheeling worlds through time the same -

    How puny¹³ seem the widest power，

    The proudest mortal name！

    "Think too， that all， lowly and rich，

    Dull idiot mind and teeming¹⁴ sense，

    Alike must sleep the endless sleep，

    A hundred seasons hence.

    "So， frail¹⁵ one， never more repine，

    Though thou livest on obscure， unknown；

    Though after death unsought may be

    Thy markless resting stone."

    And as these accents dropped in the youth's ears，

    He felt him sick at heart； for many a month

    His fancy had amused and charmed itself

    With lofty aspirations¹⁶， visions fair

    Of what he might be. And it pierced him sore

    To have his airy castles thus dashed down.

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