Poetry

Man’s path was dark until the light of song
     Broke through the shadows o’er his weary way,
With glorious token that to him ere long
     Should dawn a brighter, an eternal day;—
The day of Freedom, when the living soul
Should burst its chains and rise, made free from earth’s control.
 

Title
Poetry
First Line
Man's path was dark until the light of song
Creator
George Shepard BurleighGeorge Shepard Burleigh
Bibliographic Citation
George S. Burleigh Papers, 1825-1902. John Hay Library, Brown University. Small Scrapbook 4
Date
Date tbd
Subject
Poetics
Freedom
Religion
Comments
Given its neighbors in the Small Scrapbook, this is likely an early poem. It seems to pre-date his Transcendentalist leanings, although it carries a whiff of Neo-Platonism. It is also interesting to consider its relation to Abolitionist rhetoric.
Item sets
Burleigh Resources ALL
George Shepard Burleigh Poems
Media
PoetryPoetry