O may I join the choir invisible Of those immortal dead who live again In minds made better by their presence; live In pulses stirred to generosity, In deeds of daring rectitude, in scorn Of miserable aims that end with self, In thoughts sublime that pierce the night like stars, And with their mild persistence urge men’s minds To vaster issues.
Where these words come from
- 95% sureThese words were traced back to where they first appeared. That source is listed below.
- O May I Join the Choir Invisible!, opening passage; Complete opening sentence from public-domain poem; full poem read in Gutenberg transcription of 1884 D. Lothrop anthology. Legacy through goodness and influence on living people. Uses this edition’s men’s minds rather than alternate versions; curly
- O May I Join the Choir Invisible!, opening passage
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