{
 "id": "henry-van-dyke-jr/the-signs",
 "title": "“The Signs”",
 "ordinal": null,
 "subtitle": null,
 "poet": "Henry van Dyke Jr.",
 "poet_slug": "henry-van-dyke-jr",
 "language": "en",
 "book": "The Poems of Henry Van Dyke",
 "book_slug": "poems",
 "book_kind": "volume",
 "sequence": 90,
 "container": null,
 "epigraph": null,
 "first_published": {
  "year": 1920,
  "venue": "The Poems of Henry Van Dyke (1920)",
  "note": "Taken from the 1920 collected edition. That is the printing this text comes from, not the poem's first appearance: the volume gathers work published from 1897 onward, and which earlier book or magazine printed this poem first has not been established here.",
  "uncertain": true,
  "sources": [
   "https://archive.org/details/poemsofhenryvand00vandrich"
  ]
 },
 "source": {
  "kind": "standard-ebooks",
  "repo": "standardebooks/henry-van-dyke-jr_poetry",
  "file": "poetry.xhtml",
  "upstream": [
   "https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/16229",
   "https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/16134",
   "https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/10679",
   "https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/3525",
   "https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/9372",
   "https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/29314",
   "https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/43094",
   "https://archive.org/details/poemsofhenryvand00vandrich",
   "https://archive.org/details/buildersotherpoe00vandrich",
   "https://archive.org/details/toilingoffelixan00vandiala",
   "https://archive.org/details/musicotherpoems0000henr_c7v6",
   "https://archive.org/details/poemsnowfirstcol00vanduoft",
   "https://archive.org/details/songsoutofdoors0000vand",
   "https://archive.org/details/thyseaisgreatour00vandiala",
   "https://archive.org/details/chosenpoems0000vand"
  ],
  "rights": "public domain (SE dedication; underlying text pre-1931)"
 },
 "verification": {
  "level": "structural-only",
  "last_checked": "2026-08-20"
 },
 "stats": {
  "n_lines": 54,
  "n_stanzas": 14,
  "n_parts": 0,
  "longest_line_chars": 50,
  "max_indent": 4
 },
 "site_ready": true,
 "parts": [],
 "stanzas": [
  [
   {
    "text": "Who knows how many thousand years ago",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The twelvefold Zodiac was made to show",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The course of stars above and men below?",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "The great sun plows his furrow by its “lines”:",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "From all its “houses” mystic meaning shines:",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Deep lore of life is written in its “signs.”",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Aries⁠—Sacrifice.",
    "indent": 4
   },
   {
    "text": "Snow-white and sacred is the sacrifice",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "That Heaven demands for what our heart doth prize:",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The man who fears to suffer, ne’er can rise.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Taurus⁠—Strength.",
    "indent": 4
   },
   {
    "text": "Rejoice, my friend, if God has made you strong:",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Put forth your force to move the world along:",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Yet never shame your strength to do a wrong.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Gemini⁠—Brotherhood.",
    "indent": 4
   },
   {
    "text": "Bitter his life who lives for self alone,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Poor would he be with riches and a throne:",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "But friendship doubles all we are and own.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Cancer⁠—The Wisdom of Retreat.",
    "indent": 4
   },
   {
    "text": "Learn from the crab, O runner fresh and fleet,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Sideways to move, or backward, when discreet;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Life is not all advance⁠—sometimes retreat!",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Leo⁠—Fire.",
    "indent": 4
   },
   {
    "text": "The sign of Leo is the sign of fire.",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Hatred we hate: but no man should desire",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "A heart too cold to flame with righteous ire.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Virgo⁠—Love.",
    "indent": 4
   },
   {
    "text": "Mysterious symbol, words are all in vain",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "To tell the secret power by which you reign.",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The more we love, the less we can explain.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Libra⁠—Justice.",
    "indent": 4
   },
   {
    "text": "Examine well the scales with which you weigh;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Let justice rule your conduct every day;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "For when you face the Judge you’ll need fair play.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Scorpio⁠—Self-Defense.",
    "indent": 4
   },
   {
    "text": "There’s not a creature in the realm of night",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "But has the wish to live, likewise the right:",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Don’t tread upon the scorpion, or he’ll fight.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Sagittarius⁠—The Archer.",
    "indent": 4
   },
   {
    "text": "Life is an arrow, therefore you must know",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "What mark to aim at, how to use the bow⁠—",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Then draw it to the head and let it go!",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Capricornus⁠—The Goat.",
    "indent": 4
   },
   {
    "text": "The goat looks solemn, yet he likes to run,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And leap the rocks, and gambol in the sun:",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The truly wise enjoy a little fun.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Aquarius⁠—Water.",
    "indent": 4
   },
   {
    "text": "“Like water spilt upon the ground,”⁠—alas,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Our little lives flow swiftly on and pass;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Yet may they bring rich harvests and green grass!",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Pisces⁠—The Fishes.",
    "indent": 4
   },
   {
    "text": "Last of the sacred signs, you bring to me",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "A word of hope, a word of mystery⁠—",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "We all are swimmers in God’s mighty sea.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ]
 ]
}