Great is the sun, and wide he goes
Through empty heaven without repose;
And in the blue and glowing days
More thick than rain he showers his rays.

Though closer mu the blinds we pull
To keep the shady parlour cool,
Yet he will find a chink or two
To slip his golden fingers through.

The dusty attic, spider-clad.
He, through the keyhole, maketh glad;
And through the broken edge of tiles,
Into the laddered hayloft smiles.

Meantime his golden face around
He bares to all the garden ground,
And sheds a warm and glittering look
Among the ivy's inmost nook.

Above the hills, along the blue,
Round the bright air with footing true,
To please the child. to paint the rose,
The gardener of the World, he goes.

Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894) was born in Scotland. He was a lawyer who later became a writer Stevenson loved to travel. He and his family travelled in their own ship across the Pacific Ocean and visited many islands. The popular novels Treasure Island and Kidnapped were written by him.

repose : rest

blinds : thick curtains

parlour : a room to meet guests in; a sitting room

chink : a crack; a narrow opening

hayloft : the upper floor of a farm building used for storing hay

nook : a deep hidden corner

true : a steady and balanced way of walking