The Boon by Marie Van Vorst (1913)
The poem celebrates waking at dawn with a beloved companion, when dew, mist, purple meadows, and the sighing morning wind make the earth seem newly pure. In this sacred interval between night and day, the speaker feels that sinful or sullied things cannot approach; those who awaken, praise God, remain pure, and walk rightly receive a blessing. The greatest boon is to walk together through God’s fields at the break of day.
By Marie Van Vorst · First published 1913 · Genre: Lyric Poetry, Nature Poetry, Religious Poetry · 161 words
First lines
At break of day when shadows fly / And still the earth is white with dew, / When light soft mists on hillside lie / And, stirring purple meadows thro', / The morning wind moves like a sigh, / Oh I awake then quietly! / Earth's sullied things draw never nigh / When thus the day from God is new / And from a dim far place on high / On the chaste line of day and night / Where holy thoughts the souls imbue / Who wake, praise God, keep pure, walk right / A boon comes. is't not blest that I / Walk thus thro' fields of God with you / At break of day when shadows fly?
What this Textopian page supports
The Boon is listed on Textopian as a poem by Marie Van Vorst, dated 1913 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Marie Van Vorst
- Date: 1913 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Lyric Poetry, Nature Poetry, Religious Poetry, Devotional Poetry, Romantic Poetry
- Length: 161 words
- Structure: 1 section, 1 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
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- Work identity for The Boon by Marie Van Vorst
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Genres
- Lyric Poetry — The work is a short, musical first-person poem centered on a single emotional and spiritual moment rather than narrative action.
- Nature Poetry — Its imagery of dawn, dew, mist, hillsides, purple meadows, wind, and fields makes the natural landscape central to its expression.
- Religious Poetry — The speaker explicitly invokes God, holiness, praise, purity, righteousness, and divine blessing, presenting dawn as a sacred renewal.
- Devotional Poetry — The poem adopts a reverent, prayer-like attitude, treating the morning walk and companionship as a spiritual gift or boon.
Tags
fiction · novel · romance · social drama · psychological fiction · early twentieth century · American literature · love · marriage · relationships · society · class