A book of English poetry; ed. by T. Shorter

(avery) #1
1'()&1{8 OF !U.TOU,

The meetiug bo~;~gbs 11nd im~licated lea vee
Wove twilight o'er the Poets path, aa (e,J
By. love, ·or dream, or g od, or mightier Death,
He ioogbt in N~ture'a de11reat haunt, aome blwk,
Her cJ'&dle, and hitseepulcbre. :More dark
And d11rk the eha.dee accumulntAr-the oak,
Expanding its immense aud knotty a rme,
Enibruces the light beech. Tbe pyramid*
Of th., tall ced11r, overarchiog, frtuDe
Moet aole1nn d omes w ith in, aud far below,
Like clouds suspended in an erue1·ald sky,


4~

The aeb and the acacia floating hang
Tremulous and pnle. Like reatleas ser pents, clothed
lD rainbow and in fire, the parasites,
Stsrr'd with ten tboueand blossoms, flow around
The grey trunks; and, I!JI gnmeaome infnnt.s' eyl!s 1
With gentle meaniuga, and most innocent wiles,
Fold their benma round the he&rts of tl1o&e tbntlo'"e,
These twine their tendrils, with the wedded bougha
Uniting thdr cloee union; the woven lenve11
:Make net-work of the dark blue light or t.lny,
And the night's noontide clearness, mutable
A. ab11pes i n the weird cloudij. Stoft mo<~~~y la.wll.B
Beneath these canopiea extend thc!ir awells,
Fragrllllt with perfumed herbs, noel eyed with blooms
Minute, yet beautiful. One d11rkeat glen
Benda from ita woods o( musk-roae,twwed withjumiue,
A aonl-di8!1olving odour, to invite
To eome more lovely mystery. Through the dell,
Silence and twilight her~:, twin-ail:tera, keep
Their ooondny watch, and ~~<~il awong t be shades,
Like nporous abapes half-seen ; beyond, a well,
Duk, gleamio~r, nod of wast tl'&naluoent 'WII ve,
Images all the woven boughs above,
And each depeoding leaf, anti eve1·y apeck
Of azut·e sky, darting betweeu their chusms;
Nor aught else in the liquid mirror l11ves
Its pot'traiture, but some inconstant star
Between one foliag~d lattice twinkling fair,
01· po.inted bird, sleeping beneutb the moon,
Or gorgeous insect, tloating motionlllss 1
Uncoosciou11 of the day, er_, yet hie wings
Rue aprend their glories to the gaze of noon.


Suut.ET.
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