This dead of midnight is the noon of thought,
And Wisdom mounts her zenith with the stars.
At this still hour the self-collected soul
Turns inward, and beholds a stranger there
Of high descent, and more than mortal rank;
An embryo God; a spark of fire divine.
Bio: Seba Smith was an American humorist and writer. He was married to Elizabeth Oakes Smith, also a major writer and feminist, and he was the father of Appleton Oaksmith.
