Float round, and touch the woods with softer green, And o'er the streams a charm, like moonlight, shed; Through the soul's depths in holy silence feltA spell to raise, to chasten, and to melt! THE VOICE OF THE WAVES. WRITTEN NEAR THE SCENE OF A RECENT SHIPWRECK. "How perfect was the calm! It seem'd no sleep, I could have fancied that the mighty deep Was even the gentlest of all gentle things. But welcome fortitude and patient cheer, And frequent sights of what is to be borne." ANSWER, ye chiming waves! WORDSWORTH. That now in sunshine sweep; Hath man's lone spirit here 66 Then the sea's voice arose, Like an earthquake's under-tone : THE VOICE OF THE WAVES. 241 "Here to the quivering mast The shriek upon the wind hath pass'd, "And the youthful and the brave 66 They are vanish'd from their place- -Alas! thou haughty deep! To think that so we pass, High hope, and thought, and mind, Saw'st thou nought else, thou main? The parting agony! -And the sea's voice replied, "Here nobler things have been ! Power with the valiant when they died, To sanctify the scene: VOL. VI. 21 66 Courage, in fragile form, Faith trusting to the last, Prayer, breathing heavenwards thro' the storm, But all alike have pass'd." Sound on, thou haughty sea! These have not pass'd in vain ; My soul awakes, my hope springs free Thou, from thine empire driven, But, by the hearts that here have striven, THE HAUNTED HOUSE. "I seem like one Who treads alone Some banquet hall deserted, Whose lights are fled, Whose garlands dead, And all but me departed." MOORE. SEE'ST thou yon grey gleaming hall, Still are murmuring round its hearth, Ever there;-yet one alone Hath the gift to hear their tone. THE HAUNTED HOUSE. Guests come thither, and depart, When the night hath seal'd all eyes, See'st thou where the woodbine flowers One lone woman's entering tread Some with young smooth foreheads fair, All, from under deep sea-waves, Or the flowers of foreign graves, Or the old and banner'd aisle, Where their high tombs gleam the while; Rising, wandering, floating by, Suddenly and silently, Through their earthly home and place, But amidst another race. Wherefore, unto one alone, Are those sounds and visions known? 243 On her soul, a baleful dower, Oh! in those deep-seeing eyes, Sunny smiles were glancing round her, Seeing what none else may see- THE SHEPHERD-POET OF THE ALPS. "God gave him reverence of laws, Yet stirring blood in freedom's cause A spirit to his rocks akin, The eye of the hawk, and the fire therein!" SINGING of the free blue sky, COLERIDGE. |