No man alive but knows himself

An island rook, a lonely star

Hung in harsh solitude to learn

A planet's meaning, yet too far

To ask the question east or west,

Above or under, and be heard,

Except he shouts himself the word.

One dreamed of t hat abundant speech,

That topmost torch, that blazing man

Who arches gulfs of loneliness

With light, or so this dream began.

Not comets, but established light

Must penetrate the sky, unseal

Space beyond thought between the stars,

Fire beacons even the blind should feel.

Reflecting from his dream such light

That all men thought the light his own,

He learned the hardest proud despair:

He was their north star. He was alone.