God's Light-Houses

Helen Hunt Jackson 1830 (Amherst, Massachusetts) – 1885 (San Francisco)



1     When night falls on the earth, the sea
2       From east to west lies twinkling bright
3     With shining beams from beacons high
4       Which flash afar a friendly light.

5     The sailor's eyes, like eyes in prayer,
6       Turn unto them for guiding ray:
7     If storms obscure their radiance,
8       The great ships helpless grope their way.

9     When night falls on the earth, the sky
10     Looks like a wide, a boundless main.
11   Who knows what voyagers sail there?
12     Who names the ports they seek and gain?

13   Are not the stars like beacons set
14     To guide the argosies that go
15   From universe to universe,
16     Our little world above, below?--

17   On their great errands solemn bent,
18     In their vast journeys unaware
19   Of our small planet's name or place
20     Revolving in the lower air.

21   O thought too vast!  O thought too glad!
22     An awe most rapturous it stirs.
23   From world to world God's beacons shine:
24     God means to save his mariners!

Font size:
Collection  PDF     
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 20, 2023

54 sec read
93

Quick analysis:

Scheme XABA CDXD BECE XFXF XCXC XGXG
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 991
Words 180
Stanzas 6
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4

Helen Hunt Jackson

Helen Maria Hunt Jackson, born Helen Fiske, was an American poet and writer who became an activist on behalf of improved treatment of Native Americans by the United States government. more…

All Helen Hunt Jackson poems | Helen Hunt Jackson Books

0 fans

Discuss the poem God's Light-Houses with the community...

0 Comments

    Translation

    Find a translation for this poem in other languages:

    Select another language:

    • - Select -
    • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
    • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
    • Español (Spanish)
    • Esperanto (Esperanto)
    • 日本語 (Japanese)
    • Português (Portuguese)
    • Deutsch (German)
    • العربية (Arabic)
    • Français (French)
    • Русский (Russian)
    • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
    • 한국어 (Korean)
    • עברית (Hebrew)
    • Gaeilge (Irish)
    • Українська (Ukrainian)
    • اردو (Urdu)
    • Magyar (Hungarian)
    • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
    • Indonesia (Indonesian)
    • Italiano (Italian)
    • தமிழ் (Tamil)
    • Türkçe (Turkish)
    • తెలుగు (Telugu)
    • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
    • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
    • Čeština (Czech)
    • Polski (Polish)
    • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
    • Românește (Romanian)
    • Nederlands (Dutch)
    • Ελληνικά (Greek)
    • Latinum (Latin)
    • Svenska (Swedish)
    • Dansk (Danish)
    • Suomi (Finnish)
    • فارسی (Persian)
    • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
    • հայերեն (Armenian)
    • Norsk (Norwegian)
    • English (English)

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this poem to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "God's Light-Houses" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Mar. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/17067/god's-light-houses>.

    Become a member!

    Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

    March 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    3
    days
    9
    hours
    5
    minutes

    Special Program

    Earn Rewards!

    Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

    Browse Poetry.com

    Quiz

    Are you a poetry master?

    »
    The Baltimore Ravens’ team name was inspired by which American poet?
    A Emily Dickinson
    B Edgar Allan Poe
    C Langston Hughes
    D Walt Whitman