Author: John Frederick Freeman

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    Most comfortable Light,
    Light of the small lamp burning up the night,
    With dawn enleagued against the beaten dark;
    Pure golden perfect spark;

    Or sudden wind-bright flame,
    That but the strong-handed wind can urge or tame;
    Chill loveliest light the kneeling clouds between,
    Silverly serene;

    Comfort of happy light,
    That mouse-like leaps amid brown leaves, cheating sight;
    Clear naked stars, burning with swift intense
    Earthward intelligence;--

    Sensitive, single
    Points in the dark inane that purely tingle
    With eager fire, pouring night's circles through
    Their living blue;

    Dark light still waters hold;
    Broad silver moonpath trodden into gold:
    Candle-flame glittering through the traveller's night--
    Most comfortable light....

    And lovelier, the eye
    Where light from darkness shines unfathomably,
    Light secret, clear, shallow, profound, known, strange,
    Constant alone in change:--

    Not that wild light that turns
    Hunted from dying eyes when the last fire burns;
    O, not that bitter light of wounded things,
    When bony anguish springs

    Sudden, intolerable;
    Nor light of mad eyes gleaming up from hell....
    Come not again, wild light! Shine not again,
    Hill-flare of pain!

    But thou, most holy light....
    Not the noon blaze that stings, too fiercely bright,
    Not that unwinking stare of shameless day;
    But thou, the gray,

    Nun-like and silent, still,
    Fine-breathed on many an eastern bare green hill;
    Keen light of gray eyes, cool rain, and stern spears;
    Sad light, but not to tears:--

    --O, comfort thou of eyes
    Watching expectant from chill northern skies,
    Excellent joy for lids heavy with night--
    Strange with delight!

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Type of Poem: Lyric Poem

Date Written:

Date Published:

Language: English

Keywords: Public Domain

Source: Public Domain Collection

Publisher:

Rights/Permissions: Public Domain

Comments/Notes: The poem is a rich exploration of the theme of light as both a physical phenomenon and a metaphor for spiritual or emotional illumination. The poet uses a diverse range of imagery to portray light in different contexts, from the "small lamp burning up the night" to the "silver moonpath trodden into gold". The varying descriptions of light also serve to create a fluctuating tone that is at times comforting and serene, at others intense and even terrifying.

The structure of the poem, with its free verse and irregular rhyme scheme, echoes the unpredictable and ever-changing nature of light itself. The poet employs a number of standout literary devices, such as personification, to imbue light with qualities like intelligence and holiness. This not only gives the light a life of its own, but also enhances the poem's thematic depth as it suggests that light can bear witness to our lives, provide comfort, and even offer a form of salvation. The final lines, in which the speaker addresses the light directly, underscore this point, offering a poignant ending to the poem that leaves us with a sense of hope and expectation.