I know not why, but something in my heart
Has always whispered, “Westward seek your goal!”
Three times they sent me east, but still I turned
The bowsprit west, and felt among the floes
Of ruttling ice along the Greenland coast,
And down the rugged shore of Newfoundland,
And past the rocky capes and wooded bays
Where Gosnold sailed,—like one who feels his way
With outstretched hand across a darkened room,—
I groped among the inlets and the isles,
To find the passage to the Land of Spice.
I have not found it yet,—but I have found
Things worth the finding!
[Excerpt]
You can read other excerpts from this poem on Hudson's voyages via the author page of the poet, Henry Van Dyke.