Henry Jackson van Dyke, Jr. was an American author, educator, and clergyman, especially well known for his poetry and two Christmas stories, "The Other Wise Man" and "The First Christmas Tree." You will find various religious themes expressed throughout his works. van Dyke was educated and would go on to teach English literature at Princeton University.
I am standing upon the seashore. A ship, at my side,
spreads her white sails to the moving breeze and starts
for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength.
I stand and watch he
...
[+]
There was a handful of clay in the bank of a river. It was only common clay, coarse and heavy; but it had high thoughts of its own value, and wonderful dreams of the great place which it was to fill ... [+]
'Tis fine to see the Old World and travel up and down
Among the famous palaces and cities of renown,
To admire the crumblyh castles and the statues and kings
But now I think
...
[+]