And see! she stirs! She starts,—she moves,—she seems to feel The thrill…

And see! she stirs!
She starts,—she moves,—she seems to feel
The thrill of life along her keel,
And, spurning with her foot the ground,
With one exulting, joyous bound,
She leaps into the ocean’s arms!

Sourced, The Building of the Ship
(1849)

l. 349-354

Other Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Quotes

There is no Death! What seems so is transition;
This life of mortal breath
Is but a suburb of the life elysian,
Whose portal we call Death. - View Quote Details on There is no Death! What seems so is transition;
This life…
It was the schooner Hesperus,
That sailed the wintry sea;
And the skipper had taken his little daughter,
To bear him company. - View Quote Details on It was the schooner Hesperus,
That sailed the wintry sea;
And the…
His form was ponderous, and his step was slow;
There never was so wise a man before;
He seemed the incarnate “Well, I told you so!” - View Quote Details on His form was ponderous, and his step was slow;
There never…
One, if by land, and two, if by sea;
And I on the opposite shore will be,
Ready to ride and spread the alarm
Through every Middlesex village and farm
For the country folk to be up and to arm. - View Quote Details on One, if by land, and two, if by sea;
And I…
For age is opportunity no less
Than youth itself, though in another dress,
And as the evening twilight fades away
The sky is filled with stars, invisible by day. - View Quote Details on For age is opportunity no less
Than youth itself, though in…
The love of learning, the sequestered nooks, and all the sweet serenity of books - View Quote Details on The love of learning, the sequestered nooks, and all the…
The holiest of all holidays are those
Kept by ourselves in silence and apart;
The secret anniversaries of the heart,
When the full river of feeling overflows. - View Quote Details on The holiest of all holidays are those
Kept by ourselves in…
Art is long, and Time is fleeting,
And our hearts, though stout and brave,
Still, like muffled drums, are beating
Funeral marches to the grave. - View Quote Details on Art is long, and Time is fleeting,
And our hearts, though…
Come, read to me some poem,
Some simple and heartfelt lay,
That shall soothe this restless feeling,
And banish the thoughts of day. - View Quote Details on Come, read to me some poem,
Some simple and heartfelt lay,
That…
As unto the bow the cord is,
So unto the man is woman;
Though she bends him, she obeys him,
Though she draws him, yet she follows,
Useless each without the other! - View Quote Details on As unto the bow the cord is,
So unto the man…