THE sands are in the sunlight sleeping,
The ocean barrier is beating; a
Again, again for evermore
Haste the light curlings to the shore,
That from the sands the impression sweep

System generated line number

5

Of playful Childhoodʼs daring feet,
That seeks within its sandy cell
The pebble bright, or purple shell. 1
Far in its clear expanse, lay wide
Unruffledly that ocean‐tide,

System generated line number

10

Stretching away where paler grew
The heavenʼs bright unclouded blue.
And, far away in distance dying,
Old Englandʼs cliffy coast was lying;
And beautiful as summer cloud

System generated line number

15

By the low sun empurpled proud.

Strange, that a space from shore to shore
So soon, so easily passed oʼer,
Should yet a wide distinction place
ʼTwixt man and man, ʼtwixt race and race!

System generated line number

20

Sudden and marked the change you find,—
Religion, language, even mind; 2
That you might think that narrow span
Marked the varieties of man.