t~t 'tiaantt •nh Jk& ,)iU,
J'Jur a&me the lea or light, and •ir~
And then of darlmeee too :
I had no .thought, no feeling-nOlle-
Among the·lltonea I stood a atone,
And was~ acr.ree oo:neciot111 what I wilt,
Aa ebrubt-oragw <1rithin the mist ;
'For all WlaB bl!l.llk, and bleak. and grey,
H waa not uigh~it wa.a -not day.
U waa not even 11he ilungeon-liglit,
So .hateful to my beary sight,
Bo.t vae&Doy abiorbi.Dg apace,
And kedneat-witho'llt a place ;
There were no et.&r&-ao earlh..-no 'lme--
No check-no ebanp-no good-DO orime--
But .Uence, and a etlrl-·bredh
Which neither wa.e of life nor death j
A .ea of ltagnai&t idlen-,
Blind, boundllllie, mute, and motionl-!
A light broke in \l)IOJ:J my bndu,-
It waa the ~rol of a biro ;
It ceased, and than it came ~a.UI,
The eweeteet aong par.eYer.beard.,
All'd mine waa thankful till my eyea
Ran over with tbe glad anrpriee,
And they that moment could not aee
I waa the mate of miaery ;
But then by dull degreee came hack
My eenaee to their wonted tr.ok.
I eaw tbe dllllgeon walla and 'loor
Cloee alowl1. round me .. befvre.
I e& w tbe glimmer of. tlM tmn
Creeping·ae it befOJ'e bad doot 1
But through tbe.ornict where U. oallle
That bi.rd wu pe~h'd, u•fond and·-.ame,
And tamer tban.upon·the·nee.;
A lonly bird, wlth•anre •Winget
And aong that eaid a \hou.&nd ·tnl'Dg~~,
And eeem'd·to uy•them t.ll for·mel
:l·11ever u.w i'-·llke before,
1 D4'8l'·Jbalhee ite·UkeD-·mQPe-:
It eeem'd like ·me to 'W'&IIt • mate;
Bat wu not half 10 desolate,
..