Where lies the land to which the ship would go?
Far, far ahead, is all her seamen know.
And where the land she travels from? Away,
Far, far behind, is all that they can say.
On sunny noons upon the deck’s smooth face,
Linked arm in arm, how pleasant here to pace!
Or, o’er the stern reclining, watch below
The foaming wake far widening as we go.
On stormy nights while wild north-westers rave,
How proud a thing to fight with wind and wave!
The dripping sailor on the reeling mast
Exults to bear, and scorns to wish it past.
Where lies the land to which the ship would go?
Far, far ahead, is all her seamen know.
And where the land she travels from? Away,
Far, far behind, is all that they can say.
(Arthur Hugh Clough)
More Poetry from Arthur Hugh Clough:
Arthur Hugh Clough Poems based on Topics: Faces, Past- Amours de Voyage, Canto IV (Arthur Hugh Clough Poems)
- Noli Aemulari (Arthur Hugh Clough Poems)
- Perch (Arthur Hugh Clough Poems)
- Amours De Voyage, Canto II (Arthur Hugh Clough Poems)
- Amours De Voyage, Canto I (Arthur Hugh Clough Poems)
- Amours De Voyage, Canto III (Arthur Hugh Clough Poems)
Readers Who Like This Poem Also Like:
Based on Topics: Faces Poems, Past PoemsBased on Keywords: deck, dripping, ahead, pace, stormy, nights, sailor, rave, foaming, mast, travels