By thunders of white silence. - Elizabeth Barrett Browning

The world of books is still the world, I write, And both worlds have God’s providence, thank God, To keep and hearten: with some struggle, indeed, Among the breakers, some hard swimming through The deeps - I lost breath in my soul sometimes And cried, ”God save me if there’s any God,” But even so, God saved me; and, being dashed From error on to error, every turn Still brought me nearer to the central truth.

The heart doth recognise thee,
Alone, alone! The heart doth smell thee sweet,
Doth view thee fair, doth judge thee most complete, — -
Though seeing now those changes that disguise thee.

Knowledge by suffering entereth,
And life is perfected by death.