When Nature Wants a Man
Recently I have come across a poem entitled When Nature Wants a Man, by Angela Morgan. Its been about 100 years since this poem was published and still, the message in this holds true today and will hold true until the last day of the man on this planet. In her poem, Angela expressed a great truth that adversity and defeat are blessings in disguise.
It will be a disservice if I don’t bring this fantastic piece of art to you. So here it is When Nature Wants a Man:-
When Nature wants to drill a man,
And thrill a man,
And skill a man.
When Nature wants to mold a man
To play the noblest part;
When she yearns with all her heart
To create so great and bold a man
That all the world shall praise —
Watch her method, watch her ways!
How she ruthlessly perfects
Whom she royally elects;
How she hammers him and hurts him,
And with mighty blows converts him
Into trial shapes of clay which only Nature understands —
While his tortured heart is crying and he lifts beseeching hands!
How she bends, but never breaks,
When his good she undertakes…
How she uses whom she chooses
And with every purpose fuses him,
By every art induces him
To try his splendor out-
Nature knows what she’s about.
When Nature wants to take a man,
And shake a man,
And wake a man;
When Nature wants to make a man
To do the Future’s will;
And she yearns with all her soul
To create him large and whole…
With what cunning she prepares him!
How she goads and never spares him,
How she whets him, and she frets him,
And in poverty begets him…
How she often disappoints
Whom she sacredly anoints,
With what wisdom she will hide him,
Never minding what betide him
Though his genius sob with slighting and his pride may not forget!
Bids him struggle harder yet.
Makes him lonely
So that only
God’s high message shall reach him,
So that she may surely teach him
What the Hierarchy planned.
Though he may not understand,
Gives him passions to command.
How terrific ardor stris him
When she poignantly prefers him!
When Nature wants to name a man
And fame a man
And tame a man;
When Nature wants to shame a man
To do his heavenly best…
When she tries the highest test
That she reckoning may bring —
When she wants a god or king!
How she reins him and restrains him
So his body scare contains him
While she fires him
And inspires him!
Keeps him yearning, ever burning for a tantalizing goal —
Lures and lacerates his soul.
Sets a challenge for his spirit,
Draws it higher when he’s near it —
Makes a jungle, that he clear it;
Makes a desert that he fear it
And subdue it if he can —
So doth Nature make a man.
Then, to test his spirit’s wrath
Hurls a mountain in his path —
Puts a bitter choice before him
And relentlessly stands o’er him.
“Climb, or perish!” so she says…
Watch her purpose, watch her ways!
Nature’s plan is wondrous kind
Cold we understand her mind…
Fools are they who call her blind.
Could we understand her mind…
When his feet are torn an bleeding
Yet his spirit mounts unheeding,
All his higher power speeding,
Blazing newer paths and fine;
When the force that is divine
Leaps to challenge every failure and his ardor still is sweet
And love and hope are burning in the presence of defeat…
Lo, the crisis! Lo, the shout
That must call the leader out.
When the people need salvation
Doth he come to lead the nation…
Then doth Nature show her plan
When the world has found — a MAN!
The words of Nepolean Hill on this topic “I am convinced that failure is Nature’s plan through which she hurdle-jumps men of destiny and prepares them to do their work. Failure is Nature’s great crumble in which she burns the dross from the human heart and so purifies the metal of the man that it can stand the test of hard usage.”
The evidence to support the above theory is all around us; we need to look for it.
So smile the next time you face adversity.