| Higginson and Bigelow, comps. American Sonnets. 1891. | | | | “I, who am young” | | By Anna (Matlack) Richards (1835–1900) |
| | | I, WHO am young, let me not crave too much | |
| The burden of content, not too much strain | |
| The shining mirage of Desire to touch: | |
| Fruition’s rest is full of nameless pain. | |
| And yet, O End! O Rest! if there be such | 5 |
| In all the world,—come in the mighty reign | |
| Of autumn on this silent inland plain, | |
| Come to a spirit toiling over much. | |
| I, who am old, let not my heart annul, | |
| By futile hope, the gain of suffering years, | 10 |
| Nor make the fine gold of their wisdom dull | |
| With youth’s sweet passion of unfruitful tears: | |
| And yet, in this fair spring, with Nature’s tongue, | |
| I cry aloud,—Would God I too were young! | | | | |
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