When to the garden of untroubled thought
I came of late, and saw the open door,
And wished again to enter, and explore
The sweet, wild ways with stainless bloom inwrought,
And bowers of innocence with beauty fraught,
It seemed some purer voice must speak before
I dared to tread that garden loved of yore,
That Eden lost unknown and found unsought.
Then just within the gate I saw a child, —
A stranger-child, yet to my heart most dear;
He held his hands to me, and softly smiled
With eyes that knew no shade of sin or fear:
"Come in," he said, "and play awhile with me;"
"I am the little child you used to be."
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Comments
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this poem is really good and helped me with my home work because it was to write a poem 14 lines long so this kind of showed me which way i should go.
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This is a beautiful poem. Henry Van Dyke is able to touch the beauty of innocence of childhood so well here. "with eyes that knew no shade of sin or fear..."
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this poem is a classic with the most beautiful ending;
"Come in," he said, "and play awhile with me;"
"I am the little child you used to be."
such a simple and sweet thought.
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