Ray of the Dawn of Truth, Aubrey de Vere,Forgive my play fantastic with thy name,Distilling its true essence by the flameWhich Love ‘neath Fancy’s limbeck lighteth clear.I know not what thy semblance, what thy cheer;If, as thy spirit, hale thy bodily frame,Or furthering by failure each high aim;If green thy leaf, or, like mine, growing […]

I. Lawrence, what though the world be growing dark,And twilight cool thy potent day inclose!The sun, beneath the round earth sunk, still glowsAll the night through, sleepless and young and stark.Oh, be thy spirit faithful as the lark,More daring: in the midnight of thy woes,Dart through them, higher than earth’s shadow goes,Into the Light of […]

They say that lonely sorrows do not chance:More gently, I think, sorrows together go;A new one joins the funeral gliding slowWith less of jar than when it breaks the dance.Grief swages grief, and joy doth joy enhance;Nature is generous to her children so.And were they quick to spy the flowers that blow,As quick to feel […]

In that high country whither thou art gone,Right noble friend, thou walkest with thy peers,The gathered great of many a hundred years!Few are left like thee–few, I say, not none,Else were thy England soon a Babylon,A land of outcry, mockery, and tears!Higher than law, a refuge from its fears,Wast thou, in whom embodied Justice shone.The […]

Methinks I see thee, lying straight and low,Silent and darkling, in thy earthy bed,The mighty strength in which I trusted, fled,The long arms lying careless of kiss or blow;On thy tall form I see the night-robe flowDown from the pale, composed face–thy headCrowned with its own dark curls: though thou wast dead,They dressed thee as […]

When at Philippi, he who would have freedGreat Rome from tyrants, for the season briefThat lay ‘twixt him and battle, sought reliefFrom painful thoughts, he in a book did read,That so the death of Portia might not breedUnmanful thoughts, and cloud his mind with grief:Brother of Brutus, of high hearts the chief,When thou at length […]

I. Upon a rock I sat–a mountain-side,Far, far forsaken of the old sea’s lip;A rock where ancient waters’ rise and dip,Recoil and plunge, eddy, and oscillant tide,Had worn and worn, while races lived and died,Involved channels. Where the sea-weed’s dripFollowed the ebb, now crumbling lichens sipSparse dews of heaven that down with sunset slide.I sat […]

Methought that in a solemn church I stood.Its marble acres, worn with knees and feet,Lay spread from door to door, from street to street.Midway the form hung high upon the roodOf him who gave his life to be our good;Beyond, priests flitted, bowed, and murmured meet,Among the candles shining still and sweet.Men came and went, […]

Methought I floated sightless, nor did knowThat I had ears until I heard the cryAs of a mighty man in agony:“How long, Lord, shall I lie thus foul and slow?The arrows of thy lightning through me go,And sting and torture me–yet here I lieA shapeless mass that scarce can mould a sigh!”The darkness thinned; I […]

I. Victorious through failure! faithful Lord,Who for twelve angel legions wouldst not prayFrom thine own country of eternal day,To shield thee from the lanterned traitor horde,Making thy one rash servant sheathe his sword!–Our long retarded legions, on their way,Toiling through sands, and shouldering Nile’s down-sway,To reach thy soldier, keeping at thy word,Thou sawest foiled–but glorifiedst […]

“Traveller, what lies over the hill? Traveller, tell to me: Tip-toe-high on the window-sill Over I cannot see.” “My child, a valley green lies there, Lovely with trees, and shy; And a tiny brook that says, ‘Take care, Or I’ll drown you by and by!’” “And what comes next?”–“A little town, And a towering hill […]

“Good morrow, my lord!” in the sky alone Sang the lark as the sun ascended his throne. “Shine on me, my lord: I only am come, Of all your servants, to welcome you home! I have shot straight up, a whole hour, I swear, To catch the first gleam of your golden hair.” “Must I […]

A little bird sat on the edge of her nest; Her yellow-beaks slept as sound as tops; Day-long she had worked almost without rest, And had filled every one of their gibbous crops; Her own she had filled just over-full, And she felt like a dead bird stuffed with wool. “Oh dear!” she sighed, as […]

Queen Mary one day Jesus sent To fetch some water, legends tell; The little boy, obedient, Drew a full pitcher from the well; But as he raised it to his head, The water lipping with the rim, The handle broke, and all was shed Upon the stones about the brim. His cloak upon the ground […]

The croak of a raven hoar! A dog’s howl, kennel-tied! Loud shuts the carriage-door: The two are away on their ghastly ride To Death’s salt shore! Where are the love and the grace? The bridegroom is thirsty and cold! The bride’s skull sharpens her face! But the coachman is driving, jubilant, bold, The devil’s pace. […]

Bing, Bim, Bang, Bome! Sang the Bell to himself in his house at home, High in the church-tower, lone and unseen, In a twilight of ivy, cool and green; With his Bing, Bing, Bim, Bing, Bang, Bome! Singing bass to himself in his house at home. Said the Owl, on a shadowy ledge below, Like […]

In the air why such a ringing? On the earth why such a droning? In the air the lark is singing; On the earth the wind is moaning. “I am blest, in sunlight swinging!” “Sad am I: the world lies groaning!” In the sky the lark kept singing; On the earth the wind kept moaning.

Love, the baby, Crept abroad to pluck a flower: One said, Yes, sir; one said, Maybe; One said, Wait the hour. Love, the boy, Joined the youngsters at their play: But they gave him little joy, And he went away. Love, the youth, Roamed the country, quiver-laden; From him fled away in sooth Many a […]

A brown bird sang on a blossomy tree, Sang in the moonshine, merrily, Three little songs, one, two, and three, A song for his wife, for himself, and me. He sang for his wife, sang low, sang high, Filling the moonlight that filled the sky; “Thee, thee, I love thee, heart alive! Thee, thee, thee, […]

When the clock hath ceased to tick Soul-like in the gloomy hall; When the latch no more doth click Tongue-like in the red peach-wall; When no more come sounds of play, Mice nor children romping roam, Then looks down the eye of day On a dead house, not a home! But when, like an old […]