On the sea and at the Hogue, sixteen hundred ninety two, Did the English fight the French,–woe to France! And, the thirty-first of May, helter-skelter thro’ the blue. Like a crowd of frightened porpoises a shoal of sharks pursue, Came crowding ship on ship to St. Malo on the Rance, 5 With the English fleet […]

I sprang to the stirrup, and Joris, and he; I galloped, Dirck galloped, we galloped all three; “Good speed!” cried the watch, as the gate-bolts undrew; “Speed!” echoed the wall to us galloping through; Behind shut the postern, the lights sank to rest, And into the midnight we galloped abreast. Not a word to each […]

Sing me a hero! Quench my thirst Of soul, ye bards! Quoth Bard the first: “Sir Olaf, deg. the good knight, did don 3 His helm, and eke his habergeon …” Sir Olaf and his bard—-! “That sin-scathed brow” deg. (quoth Bard the second), deg.6 “That eye wide ope as tho’ Fate beckoned My hero […]

1842 I I know a Mount, the gracious Sun perceives First, when he visits, last, too, when he leaves The world; and, vainly favored, it repays The day-long glory of his steadfast gaze By no change of its large calm front of snow. And underneath the Mount, a Flower I know, He cannot have perceived, […]

“As certain also of your own poets have said”– 1855 Cleon the poet (from the sprinkled isles, Lily on lily, that o’erlace the sea, And laugh their pride when the light wave lisps “Greece”)– To Protus in his Tyranny: much health! They give thy letter to me, even now: I read and seem as if […]

1855 No more wine? then we’ll push back chairs and talk. A final glass for me, though: cool, i’ faith! We ought to have our Abbey back, you see. It’s different, preaching in basilicas, And doing duty in some masterpiece Like this of brother Pugin’s, bless his heart! I doubt if they’re half baked, those […]

I am poor brother Lippo, by your leave! You need not clap your torches to my face. Zooks, what’s to blame? you think you see a monk! What, ’tis past midnight, and you go the rounds, And here you catch me at an alley’s end Where sportive ladies leave their doors ajar? The Carmine’s my […]

1842 There’s heaven above, and night by night I look right through its gorgeous roof; No suns and moons though e’er so bright Avail to stop me; splendor-proof I keep the broods of stars aloof: For I intend to get to God, For ‘t is to God I speed so fast, For in God’s breast, […]

FLORENCE, 15- 1845 I could have painted pictures like that youth’s Ye praise so. How my soul springs up! No bar Stayed me–ah, thought which saddens while it soothes! –Never did fate forbid me, star by star, To outburst on your night with all my gift Of fires from God: nor would my flesh have […]

1842 I am a goddess of the ambrosia courts, And save by Here, Queen of Pride, surpassed By none whose temples whiten this the world. Through heaven I roll my lucid moon along; I shed in hell o’er my pale people peace; On earth I, caring for the creatures, guard Each pregnant yellow wolf and […]

Stop playing, poet! May a brother speak? ‘Tis you speak, that’s your error. Song’s our art: Whereas you please to speak these naked thoughts Instead of draping them in sights and sounds. –True thoughts, good thoughts, thoughts fit to treasure up! But why such long prolusion and display, Such turning and adjustment of the harp, […]

1855 I only knew one poet in my life: And this, or something like it, was his way. You saw go up and down Valladolid, A man of mark, to know next time you saw. His very serviceable suit of black Was courtly once and conscientious still, And many might have worn it, though none […]

“The Poet’s age is sad: for why? In youth, the natural world could show No common object but his eye At once involved with alien glow– His own soul’s iris-bow. “And now a flower is just a flower; Man, bird, beast are but beast, bird, man Simply themselves, uncinct by dower Of dyes which, when […]

Never the time and the place And the loved one all together! This path–how soft to pace! This May–what magic weather! Where is the loved one’s face? In a dream that loved one’s face meets mine, But the house is narrow, the place is bleak Where, outside, rain and wind combine With a furtive ear, […]

Round us the wild creatures, overhead the trees, Underfoot the moss-tracks–life and love with these! I to wear a fawn-skin, thou to dress in flowers; All the long lone summer day, that greenwood life of ours! Rich-pavilioned, rather–still the world without– Inside–gold-roofed, silk-walled silence round about! Queen it thou on purple–I, at watch and ward, […]

If a stranger passed the tent of Hoseyn, he cried, “A churl’s!” Or haply, “God help the man who has neither salt nor bread!” –“Nay,” would a friend exclaim, “he needs nor pity nor scorn More than who spends small thought on the shore-sand, picking pearls, –Holds but in light esteem the seed-sort, bears instead […]

Wanting is–what? Summer redundant, Blueness abundant, –Where is the blot? Beamy the world, yet a blank all the same –Framework which waits for a picture to frame; What of the leafage, what of the flower? Roses embowering with naught they embower! Come then, complete incompletion, O comer,[A] Pant through the blueness, perfect the summer! Breathe […]

What a pretty tale you told me Once upon a time –Said you found it somewhere (scold me!) Was it prose or was it rhyme, Greek or Latin? Greek, you said, While your shoulder propped my head. Anyhow there’s no forgetting This much if no more, That a poet (pray, no petting!) Yes, a bard, […]

(Prefatory stanzas to The Two Poets of Croisic ) Such a starved bank of moss Till, that May-morn, Blue ran the flash across: Violets were born! Sky–what a scowl of cloud Till, near and far, Ray on ray split the shroud: Splendid, a star! World–how it walled about Life with disgrace Till God’s own smile […]

Good, to forgive; Best, to forget! Living, we fret; Dying, we live. Fretless and free, Soul, clap thy pinion! Earth have dominion, Body, o’er thee! Wander at will, Day after day– Wander away, Wandering still– Soul that canst soar! Body may slumber: Body shall cumber Soul-flight no more. Waft of soul’s wing! What lies above? […]