(_I hear in my heart, I hear in its ominous pulses
All day, on the road, the hoofs of invisible horses,
All night, from their stalls, the importunate pawing and neighing._)
We spur to a land of no name, out-racing the storm-wind;
We leap to the infinite dark like sparks from the anvil.
Thou leadest, O God! All's well with Thy troopers that follow.
SUGGESTIONS FOR STUDY
This poem is somewhat like the _Road-Hymn for the Start_, on page 184.
It is about those people who go forward eagerly into the work of the
world, without fearing, and without shrinking from difficulties. Read it
through completely, trying to get its meaning. Regard the lines in
italic as a kind of chorus, and study the meaning of the other stanzas
first. Who are the galloping legions? A _stirrup-cup_ was a draught of
wine, taken just before a rider began his journey; it was usually drunk
to some one's health. Is _dolour_ a common word? Is it good here? Try to
put into your own words the ideas in the "land of no name," and "the
infinite dark," remembering what is said above about the general meaning
of the poem. What picture and what idea do you get from "like sparks
from the anvil"? Now go back to the lines in italic, and look for their
meaning.
What do you notice about the length of the words in this poem? Why has
the author used this kind of words? Notice carefully how the sound and
the sense are made harmonious. Look for the rhyme.
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