Poem 28 ("To thine own self be true…)

"To thine own self be true; And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man." Therefore let terror slay me, ere I call For aid of men. Let grief begrudge a sigh. "Are you afraid?"—"unhappy?" "No!" The lie About the shrinking truth stands like a wall. 'And have you loved?" "No, never!" All the while, The heart within my flesh is turned to stone. Yea, none the less that I account it vile, The heart within my heart makes speechless moan, And when they see one face, one face alone, The stern eyes of the soul are moved to smile.