1231352American Poetry 1922 — They Say—Jean Starr Untermeyer

THEY SAY—

They say I have a constant heart, who know
     Not anything of how it turns and yields
     First here, first there; nor how in separate fields
It runs to reap and then remains to sow;
How, with quick worship, it will bend and glow
     Before a line of song, an antique vase,
     Evening at sea; or in a well-loved face
Seek and find all that Beauty can bestow.

Yet they do well who name it with a name,
     For all its rash surrenders call it true.
Though many lamps be lit, yet flame is flame;
     The sun can show the way, a candle too.
The tribute to each fragment is the same
     Service to all of Beauty—and her due.


This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published before January 1, 1929.


The longest-living author of this work died in 1977, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 46 years or less. This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.

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