LIFE. Life! I know not what thou art, I own to me's a secret yet. But this I know, when thou art fled, 5 Where'er they lay these limbs, this head, As all that then remains of me. O whither, whither dost thou fly, Where bend unseen thy trackless course, 10 And in this strange divorce, Ah! tell where I must seek this compound I? To the vast ocean of empryeal flame, Dost thou thy flight pursue, when freed Wait, like some spell-bound knight, Though blank oblivious years the appointed hour, Through pleasant and through cloudy weather; Then steal away, give little warning, Say not good night, but, in some brighter clime Bid me good morning. -Mrs. Barbauld (1743-1825). REQUIEM. Under the wide and starry sky, And I laid me down with a will. This be the verse you grave for me: Here he lies where he longed to be; 5 "Late, late yestreen I saw the new moone Oour Scots nobles wer richt laith" O lang, lang may their ladies sit, O lang, lang may the ladies stand, Have owre, 10 have owre to Aberdour,' And thair lies guid Sir Patrick Spence -From Percy's "Reliques." TIME, REAL AND IMAGINARY. AN ALLEGORY. On the wide level of a mountain's head, (I knew not where, but 'twas some faery place) Their pinions, ostrich-like, for sails outspread, A sister and a brother! That far outstripp'd the other; Yet even runs she with reverted face, And looks and listens for the boy behind : For he, alas! is blind! O'er rough and smooth with even step he pass'd, 25 30 35 40 5 10 -Coleridge. 6 Yesterday evening. 7 Loath. 8 On the surface. 9 Combs. 10 Half over 11 A village on the Forth. LIFE. Life! I know not what thou art, I own to me's a secret yet. But this I know, when thou art fled, 5 Where'er they lay these limbs, this head, As all that then remains of me. O whither, whither dost thou fly, Where bend unseen thy trackless course, 10 And in this strange divorce, Ah! tell where I must seek this compound I? To the vast ocean of empryeal flame, From whence thy essence came, Dost thou thy flight pursue, when freed Wait, like some spell-bound knight, Though blank oblivious years the appointed hour, Through pleasant and through cloudy weather; Then steal away, give little warning, Say not good night, but, in some brighter clime -Mrs. Barbauld (1743-1825). REQUIEM. Under the wide and starry sky, And I laid me down with a will. This be the verse you grave for me: Here he lies where he longed to be; -Robert Louis Stevenson. 5 WHAT IS A SONNET? What is a sonnet? 'T is a pearly shell It is a little picture painted well. What is a sonnet? "Tis the tear that fell From a great poet's ecstasy; 5 A two-edged sword, a star, a song-ah me ! Sometimes a heavy tolling funeral bell. This was the flame that shook with Dante's breath, 10 And the clear glass where Shakespeare's shadow falls; For like a fiord the narrow flood is laid Deep as mid ocean to sheer mountain walls. -R. W. Gilder. MILTON. He left the upland lawns and serene air Of his young brow amid the tumult there, Grew grim with sulphurous dust and sanguine dew; Yet through all soilure they who marked him knew The signs of his life's dayspring, calm and fair. But when peace came, peace fouler far than war, In darkness, listening to the thunder's roll. -Ernest Meyers. 5 10 SLEEP. Come, Sleep! O Sleep, the certain knot of peace, Th' indifferent judge between the high and low; I will good tribute pay, if thou do so. And if these things, as being there by right, SLEEP. 3. Henry IV., iii., i., 5ff.) How many thousands of my poorest subjects 10 5 Why rather, Sleep, liest thou in smoky cribs, And hush'd with buzzing night-flies to thy slumber, Than in the perfumed chambers of the great, 10 And lull'd with sound of sweetest melody! O thou dull god, why liest thou with the vile In loathsome beds, and leavest the kingly couch Wilt thou upon the high and giddy mast 15 Seal up the ship-boy's eyes, and rock his brain Curling their monstrous heads and banging them 1 Place of refreshment. |