The Poet's Heart

'Tis so much joy! 'T is so much joy!
If I should fail, what poverty!
And yet, as poor as I
Have ventured all upon a throw;
Have gained! Yes! Hesitated so
This side the victory!

Life is but life, and death but death!
Bliss is but bliss, and breath but breath!
And if, indeed, I fail,
At least to know the worst is sweet.
Defeat means nothing but defeat,
No drearier can prevail!

And if I gain, - oh, gun at sea,
Oh, bells that in the steeples be,
At first repeat it slow!
For heaven is a different thing
Conjectured. and waked sudden in,
And might o'erwhelm me so!

Forever at his side to walk
The smaller of the two,
Brain of his brain,
Blood of his blood,
Two lives, one Being, now.

Forever of his fate to taste,
If grief the largest part,
If joy, to put my piece away
For that belovéd heart.

All life to know each other—
Whom we can never learn,
And by and by a change
Called "Heaven"—

Rapt neighborhood of men
Just finding out what
Puzzled us
Without the lexicon!