For Once, Then, Something by Robert Frost

Others taunt me with having knelt at well-curbs
Always wrong to the light, so never seeing
Deeper down in the well than where the water
Gives me back in a shining surface picture
My myself in the summer heaven, godlike
Looking out of a wreath of fern and cloud puffs.
Once, when trying with chin against a well-curb,
I discerned, as I thought, beyond the picture,
Through the picture, a something white, uncertain,
Something more of the depths-and then I lost it.
Water came to rebuke the too clear water.
One drop fell from a fern, and lo, a ripple
Shook whatever it was lay there at bottom,
Blurred it, blotted it out. What was that whiteness?
Truth? A pebble of quartz? For once, then, something.

Updated January 10, 2012, 1:28 pm

On Jan. 11, 1935, aviator Amelia Earhart began a trip from Honolulu to Oakland, Calif., becoming the first woman to fly solo across the Pacific Ocean.

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On Jan. 11, 1842, William James, the American psychologist and exponent of pragmatism, was born. Following his death on Aug. 26, 1910, his obituary appeared in The Times.

Go to obituary » | Other birthdays »

On This Date By The Associated Press

1757 American founding father Alexander Hamilton was born in the West Indies.

1805 The Michigan Territory was created.

1861 Alabama seceded from the Union.

1973 Owners of American League baseball teams voted to adopt the designated-hitter rule.

1977 France set off an international uproar by releasing Abu Daoud, a Palestinian suspected of involvement in the massacre of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics.

2002 The first planeload of al-Qaida prisoners from Afghanistan arrived at a U.S. military detention camp in Guantanamo, Cuba.

2003 Calling the death penalty process “arbitrary and capricious, and therefore immoral,” Illinois Gov. George Ryan commuted the sentences of 167 condemned inmates, clearing his state’s death row two days before leaving office.

2007 English soccer player David Beckham announced a five-year deal to play for the Los Angeles Galaxy.

2008 Sir Edmund Hillary, the first person to conquer Mount Everest, died at age 88.

2010 Mark McGwire admitted to The Associated Press that he’d used steroids and human growth hormone when he broke baseball’s home run record in 1998.

Current Birthdays By The Associated Press

R&B singer Mary J. Blige turns 41 years old today.

AP Photo/Evan Agostini

Actress Amanda Peet turns 40 years old today.

AP Photo/Peter Kramer

1930 Rod Taylor, Actor, turns 82

1934 Jean Chretien, Former Canadian prime minister, turns 78

1946 Naomi Judd, Country singer, turns 66

1952 Ben Crenshaw, Golfer, turns 60

1956 Robert Earl Keen, Rock singer, turns 56

1958 Vicki Peterson, Rock musician (The Bangles), turns 54

1962 Kim Coles, Actress, turns 50

1968 Tom Dumont, Rock musician (No Doubt), turns 44

1971 Tom Rowlands, Rock musician (The Chemical Brothers), turns 41

Historic Birthdays

William James 1/11/1842 – 8/26/1910 American philosopher/psychologist.Go to obituary »

37 Parmigianino 1/11/1503 – 8/24/1540
Italian painter

49 Alexander Hamilton 1/11/1757 – 7/12/1804
American secretary of the treasury and founding father

67 Ezra Cornell 1/11/1807 – 12/9/1874
American university founder

85 Sir James Paget 1/11/1814 – 12/30/1899
English surgeon/physiologist

82 Thomas Dixon 1/11/1864 – 4/3/1946
American dramatist/legislator

72 Alice H. Rice 1/11/1870 – 2/10/1942
American novelist

92 Alice Paul 1/11/1885 – 7/9/1977
American Women’s Rights activist

78 Laurens Hammond 1/11/1895 – 7/1/1973
American inventor/businessman

92 Eva Le Gallienne 1/11/1899 – 6/3/1991
English/Am. actress/producer

85 Alan Paton 1/11/1903 – 4/12/1988
South African writer

75 Pierre Mendes-France 1/11/1907 – 10/18/1982
French Premier

1757	American founding father Alexander Hamilton was born in the West Indies.
1805	The Michigan Territory was created.
1861	Alabama seceded from the Union.
1973	Owners of American League baseball teams voted to adopt the designated-hitter rule.
1977	France set off an international uproar by releasing Abu Daoud, a Palestinian suspected of involvement in the massacre of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics.
2002	The first planeload of al-Qaida prisoners from Afghanistan arrived at a U.S. military detention camp in Guantanamo, Cuba.
2003	Calling the death penalty process “arbitrary and capricious, and therefore immoral,” Illinois Gov. George Ryan commuted the sentences of 167 condemned inmates, clearing his state’s death row two days before leaving office.
2007	English soccer player David Beckham announced a five-year deal to play for the Los Angeles Galaxy.
2008	Sir Edmund Hillary, the first person to conquer Mount Everest, died at age 88.
2010	Mark McGwire admitted to The Associated Press that he’d used steroids and human growth hormone when he broke baseball’s home run record in 1998.

1930	Rod Taylor, Actor, turns 82
1934	Jean Chretien, Former Canadian prime minister, turns 78
1946	Naomi Judd, Country singer, turns 66
1952	Ben Crenshaw, Golfer, turns 60
1956	Robert Earl Keen, Rock singer, turns 56
1958	Vicki Peterson, Rock musician (The Bangles), turns 54
1962	Kim Coles, Actress, turns 50
1968	Tom Dumont, Rock musician (No Doubt), turns 44
1971	Tom Rowlands, Rock musician (The Chemical Brothers), turns 41

37	Parmigianino 1/11/1503 – 8/24/1540 Italian painter
49	Alexander Hamilton 1/11/1757 – 7/12/1804 American secretary of the treasury and founding father
67	Ezra Cornell 1/11/1807 – 12/9/1874 American university founder
85	Sir James Paget 1/11/1814 – 12/30/1899 English surgeon/physiologist
82	Thomas Dixon 1/11/1864 – 4/3/1946 American dramatist/legislator
72	Alice H. Rice 1/11/1870 – 2/10/1942 American novelist
92	Alice Paul 1/11/1885 – 7/9/1977 American Women’s Rights activist
78	Laurens Hammond 1/11/1895 – 7/1/1973 American inventor/businessman
92	Eva Le Gallienne 1/11/1899 – 6/3/1991 English/Am. actress/producer
85	Alan Paton 1/11/1903 – 4/12/1988 South African writer
75	Pierre Mendes-France 1/11/1907 – 10/18/1982 French Premier