John Henry Newman

Here you will find the Poem Opusculum of poet John Henry Newman

Opusculum

Fair Cousin, thy page 
is small to encage 
the thoughts which engage 
the mind of a sage, 
such as I am; 

'Twere in teaspoon to take 
the whole Genevese lake, 
or a lap-dog to make 
the white Elephant sac- 
-red in Siam. 

Yet inadequate though 
to the terms strange and so- 
-lemn that figure in po- 
-lysyllabical row 
in a treatise; 

Still, true words and plain, 
of the heart, not the brain, 
in affectionate strain, 
this book to contain 
very meet is. 

So I promise to be 
a good Cousin to thee, 
and to keep safe the se- 
-cret I heard, although e- 
-v'ry one know it; 

With a lyrical air 
my kind thoughts I would dare, 
and offer whate'er 
beseems the news, were 
I a poet.