s: A haggard land, forlornly spanned by mountains lank and lean;


s: The nitchies said 'twas full of dread, of smoke and fiery breath,


s: "But I was made all unafraid, so, careless and alone,


s: Day after day I made my way into that land unknown;


s: "I rose at dawn; I wandered on.  'Tis somewhat fine and grand


s: To be alone and hold your own in God's vast awesome land;


s: Come woe or weal, 'tis fine to feel a hundred miles between


s: The trails you dare and pathways where the feet of men have been.


s: "And so it fell on me a spell of wander-lust was cast.


s: The land was still and strange and chill, and cavernous and vast;


s: And on his track, all bent of back, had crawled the hairy men.


s: Until I came where sudden flame uplit a terraced height,


s: A regnant peak that seemed to seek the coronal of night.


s: "I scaled the peak; my heart was weak, yet on and on I pressed.


s: Skyward I strained until I gained its dazzling silver crest;


s: And there I found, with all around a world supine and stark,


s: Swept clean of snow, a flat plateau, and on it lay--the Ark.


s: "Yes, there, I knew, by two and two the beasts did disembark,


s: And so in haste I ran and traced in letters on the Ark


s: My human name--Ben Smith's the same.  And now I want to float


s: A syndicate to haul and freight to town that noble boat."


s: _I met him later in a bar and made a gay remark


s: Anent an ancient miner and an option on the Ark.


s: He gazed at me reproachfully, as only topers can;


s: But what he said I can't repeat--he was a bad old man._


s: In the little Crimson Manual it's written plain and clear


s: That who would wear the scarlet coat shall say good-bye to fear;


s: Shall be a guardian of the right, a sleuth-hound of the trail--


s: In the little Crimson Manual there's no such word as "fail"--


s: The Scarlet Rider makes reply:  "It's duty--to the death."


s: And so they sweep the solitudes, free men from all the earth;


s: And so they sentinel the woods, the wilds that know their worth;


s: And so they scour the startled plains and mock at hurt and pain,


s: And read their Crimson Manual, and find their duty plain.


s: Knights of the lists of unrenown, born of the frontier's need,


s: Disdainful of the spoken word, exultant in the deed;


s: Unconscious heroes of the waste, proud players of the game,


s: Props of the power behind the throne, upholders of the name:


s: Livid-lipped was the valley, still as the grave of God;


s: Misty shadows of mountain thinned into mists of cloud;


s: Deep in the trench of the valley two men stationed the Post,


s: Seymour and Clancy the reckless, fresh from the long patrol;


s: Seymour, the sergeant, and Clancy--Clancy who made his boast


s: He could cinch like a bronco the Northland,


s: Two lone men on detachment, standing for law on the trail;


s: Undismayed in the vastness, wise with the wisdom of old--


s: Up sprang the red-haired Clancy, lean and eager of eye;


s: Loaded the long toboggan, strapped each dog at its post;


s: Whirled his lash at the leader; then, with a whoop and a cry,


s: Into the Great White Silence faded away like a ghost.


s: The clouds were a misty shadow, the hills were a shadowy mist;


s: Sunless, voiceless and pulseless, the day was a dream of woe;


s: Through the ice-rifts the river smoked and bubbled and hissed;


s: Behind was a trail fresh broken, in front the untrodden snow.


s: Ahead of the dogs ploughed Clancy, haloed by steaming breath;


s: Through peril of open water, through ache of insensate cold;


s: Up rivers wantonly winding in a land affianced to death,


s: Till he came to a cowering cabin on the banks of the Nordenscold.


s: _"I panned and I panned in the shiny sand,


s: But I know, I know, that it's down below


s: So I'll wait and wait till the floods abate,


s: And I'd like to bet that I'll go home yet


s: Lifted him on the toboggan, wrapped him in robes of fur,


s: Then with the dogs sore straining started to face the Wild.


s: Pile up my snows to stay him; then when his strength is spent,


s: Leap on him from my ambush and crush him under my feet.


s: "Him will I ring with my silence, compass him with my cold;


s: Closer and closer clutch him unto mine icy breast;


s: Buffet him with my blizzards, deep in my snows enfold,


s: Claiming his life as my tribute, giving my wolves the rest."


s: _"Sing hey, sing ho, for the ice and snow,


s: Let us trim and square with a lover's care


s: A grave deep, deep, with the moon a-peep,


s: Sing hey, sing ho, for the winds that blow,


s: And a grave deep down in the ice and snow,


s: Day after day of darkness, the whirl of the seething snows;


s: Day after day of blindness, the swoop of the stinging blast;


s: On through a blur of fury the swing of staggering blows;


s: On through a world of turmoil, empty, inane and vast.


s: Night with its writhing storm-whirl, night despairingly black;


s: Night with its hours of terror, numb and endlessly long;


s: Night with its weary waiting, fighting the shadows back,


s: Cold with its creeping terror, cold with its sudden clinch;


s: Cold so utter you wonder if 'twill ever again be warm;


s: Clancy grinned as he shuddered, "Surely it isn't a cinch


s: Being wet-nurse to a looney in the teeth of an arctic storm."


s: Ever by snowslide and ice-rip haunted and hovered the Fear;


s: Ever the Wild malignant poised and panted to slay.


s: The lead-dog freezes in harness--cut him out of the team!


s: The lung of the wheel-dog's bleeding--shoot him and let him lie!


s: On and on with the others--lash them until they scream!


s: "Pull for your lives, you devils!  On!  To halt is to die."


s: There in the frozen vastness Clancy fought with his foes;


s: The ache of the stiffened fingers, the cut of the snowshoe thong;


s: Colder it grew and colder, till the last heat left the earth,


s: And life was far and forgotten, the ghost of a joy once dreamed.


s: Death!  And one who defied it, a man of the Mounted Police;


s: Fought it there to a standstill long after hope was gone;


s: Grinned through his bitter anguish, fought without let or cease,


s: Suffering, straining, striving, stumbling, struggling on.


s: and his hands they were blanched like bone;


s: So Clancy got into Barracks, and the boys made rather a scene;


s: And the O. C. called him a hero, and was nice as a man could be;


s: _"When I go back to the old love that's true to the finger-tips,


s: I'll say:  `Here's bushels of gold, love,'


s: When I go back to the old love that's waited so long for me."_


s: _"Black is the sky, but the land is white--


s: Rest and sleep, 'twill be morning soon."_


s: "It's getting dark awful sudden.  Say, this is mighty queer!


s: Nothing!  Just draw and valley packed with quiet and gloom;


s: Snow that comes down like feathers, thick and gobby and gray;


s: Night that looks spiteful ugly--seems that I've lost my way.


s: "The cold's got an edge like a jackknife--it must be forty below;


s: Its arms sweep round like a banshee's, swift and icily white,


s: And buffet and blind and beat me.  Lord! it's a hell of a night.


s: Oh, God! if I see the morning, if only I struggle through,


s: Say! did somebody holler?  Was it a light I saw?


s: Or was it only a notion?  I'll shout, and maybe they'll hear--


s: No! the wind only drowns me--shout till my throat is raw.


s: Play the game to the finish; bet on your very last card;


s: Nerve yourself for the struggle.  Oh, you coward, keep cool!


s: "I'm going to lick this blizzard; I'm going to live the night.


s: It can't down me with its bluster--I'm not the kind to be beat.


s: I know that my face is frozen; my hands are numblike and dead;


s: But oh, my feet keep a-moving, heavy and hard and slow;


s: Keep a-moving, a-moving; don't, don't stumble, you fool!


s: Curse this snow that's a-piling a-purpose to block my way.


s: It's heavy as gold in the rocker, it's white and fleecy as wool;


s: It's soft as a bed of feathers, it's warm as a stack of hay.


s: Curse on my feet that slip so, my poor tired, stumbling feet--


s: The awful wind cannot get me, deep, deep down in the drift."


s: 'Twas like the voice of our erring child."_


s: Rest and sleep, 'twill be morning soon."_


s: Who is it talks of sleeping?  I'll swear that somebody shook


s: Me hard by the arm for a moment, but how on earth could it be?


s: See how my feet are moving--awfully funny they look--


s: Moving as if they belonged to a someone that wasn't me.


s: The wind down the night's long alley bowls me down like a pin;


s: I stagger and fall and stagger, crawl arm-deep in the snow.


s: Beaten back to my corner, how can I hope to win?


s: And there is the blizzard waiting to give me the knockout blow.


s: Oh, I'm so warm and sleepy!  No more hunger and pain.


s: Just to rest for a moment; was ever rest such a joy?


s: Ha! what was that?  I'll swear it, somebody shook me again;


s: Somebody seemed to whisper:  "Fight to the last, my boy."


s: Still and still must I struggle, fight for the gift of life.


s: Seems that I must be dreaming!  Here is the old home trail;


s: Yonder a light is gleaming; oh, I know it so well!


s: The air is scented with clover; the cattle wait by the rail;


s: Father is through with the milking; there goes the supper-bell.


s: Mother, your boy is crying, out in the night and cold;


s: Let me in and forgive me, I'll never be bad any more:


s: Rest and sleep, 'twill be morning soon."_


s: We talked of yesteryears, of trails and treasure,


s: Of men who played the game and lost or won;


s: Of mad stampedes, of toil beyond all measure,


s: Of camp-fire comfort when the day was done.


s: We talked of sullen nights by moon-dogs haunted,


s: Of bird and beast and tree, of rod and gun;


s: Of boat and tent, of hunting-trip enchanted


s: Of bloody-footed dogs that gnawed the traces,


s: Of prisoned seas, wind-lashed and winter-locked;


s: The ice-gray dawn was pale upon our faces,


s: Yet still we filled the cup and still we talked.


s: The city street was dimmed.  We saw the glitter


s: Of moon-picked brilliants on the virgin snow,


s: And down the drifted canyon heard the bitter,


s: The city was forgot, and, parka-skirted,


s: We trod that leagueless land that once we knew;


s: We saw stream past, down valleys glacier-girted,


s: We smoked our pipes, o'er scenes of triumph dwelling;


s: Of deeds of daring, dire defeats, we talked;


s: And other tales that lost not in the telling,


s: And so, dear friends, in gentler valleys roaming,


s: Perhaps, when on my printed page you look,


s: Your fancies by the firelight may go homing


s: To that lone land that haply you forsook.


s: And if perchance you hear the silence calling,


s: The frozen music of star-yearning heights,


s: Or, dreaming, see the seines of silver trawling


s: You may recall that sweep of savage splendor,


s: That land that measures each man at his worth,


s: And feel in memory, half fierce, half tender,


s: The brotherhood of men that know the North.


s: Suggested by the Cover of a Volume of Keats's Poems


s: "To-morrow to Fresh Woods and Pastures New"


s: Diya  {original title is Greek, Delta-iota-psi-alpha}


s: On Carpaccio's Picture:  The Dream of St. Ursula


s: Thanks are due to the editor of the 'Atlantic Monthly',


s: and to Messrs. G. Schirmer, Inc., for their courteous permission


s: Wreathing with smoke the sacrificial urn.


s: Have cheaply bought, to fling from hence


s: Grows hard with thinking of the poorness of his dole.


s: "Shining and distant Goddess, hear my prayer


s: The smoke rose straight in the quiet night.


s: Wild little bird, who chose thee for a sign


s: Who heard thee singing in the distance dim,


s: The vague, far greenness of the enshrouding wood,


s: When the damp freshness of the morning earth


s: Was full of pungent sweetness and thy song?


s: Who followed over moss and twisted roots,


s: And pushed through the wet leaves of trailing vines


s: Where slanting sunbeams gleamed uncertainly,


s: While ever clearer came the dropping notes,


s: Until, at last, two widening trunks disclosed


s: Thee singing on a spray of branching beech,


s: Hidden, then seen; and always that same song


s: Filled the hushed, rustling stillness of the wood?


s: We do not know what bird thou art.  Perhaps


s: Who never sings but once, and then his song


s: For this they took thee, little bird, for this


s: They captured thee, tilting among the leaves,


s: And stamped thee for a symbol on this book.


s: For it contains a song surpassing thine,


s: Richer, more sweet, more poignant.  And the poet


s: Who felt this burning beauty, and whose heart


s: Was full of loveliest things, sang all he knew


s: A little while, and then he died; too frail


s: To bear this untamed, passionate burst of song.


s: We scatter the leaves of our opening rose;


s: We never shall know.  And the stream as it flows


s: The flower fared forth, though its fragrance still stays.


s: Far out of sight of land, his mind intent


s: On tightening ropes and shaping fair his course,


s: Hears suddenly, across the restless sea,


s: The rhythmic striking of some towered clock,


s: And wakes from thoughtless idleness to time:


s: Time, the slow pulse which beats eternity!


s: At intervals you cross my path and bring


s: For you I have shed bitter tears, for you


s: I have relinquished that for which my heart


s: Cried out in selfish longing.  And to-night


s: Having just left you, I can say:  "'T is well.


s: Thank God that I have known a soul so true,


s: Stupefy my heart to every day's monotony,


s: Seal up my eyes, I would not look so far,


s: Chasten my steps to peaceful regularity,


s: Fill my days with work, a thousand calm necessities


s: Leaving no moment to consecrate to hope,


s: Girdle my thoughts within the dull circumferences


s: Of facts which form the actual in one short hour's scope.


s: Give me dreamless sleep, and loose night's power over me,


s: Shut my ears to sounds only tumultuous then,


s: Bid Fancy slumber, and steal away its potency,


s: Or Nature wakes and strives to live again.


s: Let each day pass, well ordered in its usefulness,


s: Dower me with strength and curb all foolish eagerness --


s: The law exacts obedience.  Instruct, I will conform.


s: It hangs, a piece of wood with colours dim.


s: And knew the sun and shadow through the leaves


s: Of forest trees, in a thick eastern wood.


s: The winter snows had bent its branches down,


s: The spring had swelled its buds with coming flowers,


s: Summer had run like fire through its veins,


s: While autumn pelted it with chestnut burrs,


s: And strewed the leafy ground with acorn cups.


s: Dark midnight storms had roared and crashed among


s: Its branches, breaking here and there a limb;


s: But every now and then broad sunlit days


s: Lovingly lingered, caught among the leaves.


s: Yes, it had known all this, and yet to us


s: Of whispering pine trees or the shimmering birch;


s: But of quick winds, and the salt, stinging sea!


s: An artist once, with patient, careful knife,


s: Had fashioned it like to the untamed sea.


s: Here waves uprear themselves, their tops blown back


s: By the gay, sunny wind, which whips the blue


s: And breaks it into gleams and sparks of light.


s: Among the flashing waves are two white birds


s: Which swoop, and soar, and scream for very joy


s: At the wild sport.  Now diving quickly in,


s: Questing some glistening fish.  Now flying up,


s: Their dripping feathers shining in the sun,


s: While the wet drops like little glints of light,


s: Fall pattering backward to the parent sea.


s: Gliding along the green and foam-flecked hollows,


s: Or skimming some white crest about to break,


s: The spirits of the sky deigning to stoop


s: The freedom of the earth's vast solitudes,


s: Where heaping, sunny waves tumble and roll,


s: And seabirds scream in wanton happiness.


s: In a single flash, while your streaming hair


s: To shine on some slumbering Chinese town.


s: Bring evening to crowd the footsteps of noon.


s: Hangs ripe in the heavens, your voyaging stay.


s: Be morning, O Sun! with the lark in song,


s: And, Moon, let you and your lesser lights


s: And warm with drowsy, poppied sunshine; bright,


s: Flaming with lilies out of whose cups dart


s: Here terrace sinks to terrace, arbors close


s: The ends of dreaming paths; a wanton wind


s: Jostles the half-ripe pears, and then, unkind,


s: By night my garden is o'erhung with gems


s: Flicker their lanterns in my dazzled eyes.


s: In serried rows I guess the straight, stiff stems


s: Cinctured with iris, pale and glistening,


s: Who shall declare the joy of the running!


s: Who shall tell of the pleasures of flight!


s: Springing and spurning the tufts of wild heather,


s: Sweeping, wide-winged, through the blue dome of light.


s: Swift and God-gifted, immeasurably bright.


s: So with the stretch of the white road before me,


s: Shining snowcrystals rainbowed by the sun,


s: Fields that are white, stained with long, cool, blue shadows,


s: Strong with the strength of my horse as we run.


s: Joy in the touch of the wind and the sunlight!


s: And the thunderous voice of waters which sweep


s: And the trees and the bushes which grow in the rocks


s: And small, wet wildflowers star the ground.


s: Oh!  The dampness is very good to smell,


s: I forget that 't is only a pictured path,


s: And look through the mist, and strain my eyes


s: This little path by a waterfall spanned.


s: Full of summer's fragrance to the summer sun.


s: Deep within the farthest heart of each chaliced flower.


s: Always their plunging thunder and their misty arch of blue.


s: Telling tales of coral caves half hid in yellow sand.


s: Make a sea of purpose mightier than we dream to-day?


s: The Fool Errant sat by the highway of life


s: And his gaze wandered up and his gaze wandered down,


s: A vigorous youth, but with no wish to walk,


s: Yet his longing was great for the distant town.


s: Which he felt to be pulsing with ecstasy,


s: For he thought that success always followed desire,


s: Her gown was rose-red and her kerchief blue,


s: On her lap she carried a basket of eggs.


s: Thought the fool, "There is certainly room for two."


s: So he jauntily swaggered towards the maid


s: And put out his hand to the bridle-rein.


s: "My pretty girl," quoth the fool, "take me up,


s: For to ride with you to the town I am fain."


s: But the maiden struck at his upraised arm


s: And pelted him hotly with eggs, a score.


s: The fool went back to his stone and swore.


s: And the fool got up, for his heart was cheered.


s: He stood in the midst of the long, white road


s: And swept off his cap till it touched the ground.


s: "Ah, Reverent Sir, well met," said the fool,


s: Your palfrey seems both sturdy and young."


s: And cried out in anger, "Hold your tongue!


s: "How dare you obstruct the King's highroad,


s: Then he gave the fool a cut with his whip


s: And he cursed the folly of monks and maids.


s: "If I could but meet with a man," sighed the fool,


s: "For a woman fears, and a friar upbraids."


s: And the clanking of harness greeted his ears,


s: And up the road journeyed knights-at-arms,


s: With waving plumes and glittering spears.


s: Not quite so sure was his foolish heart.


s: Was it likely a knight would take his part?


s: They sang as they rode, these lusty boys,


s: When one chanced to turn toward the highway's side,


s: "There's a sorry figure of fun," jested he,


s: "Well, Sirrah! move back, there is scarce room to ride."


s: "Good Sirs, Kind Sirs," begged the crestfallen fool,


s: "I pray of your courtesy speech with you,


s: I'm for yonder town, and have no horse to ride,


s: Have you never a charger will carry two?"


s: Then the company halted and laughed out loud.


s: "Was such a request ever made to a knight?"


s: "And where are your legs," asked one, "if you start,


s: You may be inside the town gates to-night."


s: They've no room in the town for such idlers as he."


s: But one bent from his saddle and said, "My man,


s: "Thou art well set up, and thy legs are strong,


s: But it much misgives me lest thou'rt a fool;


s: Wise men are reared in a different school."


s: Then they clattered away in the dust and the wind,


s: And the fool slunk back to his lonely stone;


s: Purple tree-shadows crept over the road,


s: And the fool laid his head on the hard, gray stone


s: And wept as he realized advancing night.


s: And crouched on a stone a wayfarer sobbed,


s: In a Spring wood, where dogtooth violets grow


s: Nodding in chequered sunshine of the trees;


s: A quiet place, still, with the sound of birds,


s: Where, though unseen, is heard the endless song


s: 'T was winter, Roger, when you made this cup,


s: But coming Spring guided your eager hand


s: And round the edge you fashioned young green leaves,


s: And little flowers of the woods.  And here


s: They will forget their sad uprooting, lost


s: In pleasure that this circle of bright leaves


s: Should be their setting; once more they will dream


s: They hear winds wandering through lofty trees


s: And see the sun smiling between the leaves.


s: The south wind smells of the pungent sea,


s: The night's for you, Sweetheart, for you!


s: 'T is night and spring, Sweetheart, and spring!


s: Starfire lights your heart's blossoming.


s: In the intimate dark there's never an ear,


s: Though the tulips stand on tiptoe to hear,


s: So give; ripe fruit must shrivel or fall.


s: Of coloured stones which curiously are wrought


s: Into a pattern?  Rather glass that's taught


s: And glowing with a sumptuous splendor, make


s: Beauty a thing of awe; where sunbeams caught,


s: Transmuted fall in sheafs of rainbows fraught


s: With storied meaning for religion's sake.


s: From the shore come the scents of a garden,


s: What does she in this pale, northern garden,


s: Through the water the moon writes her legends


s: Some men there are who find in nature all


s: Which spurs them on to any great endeavor,


s: To them the fields and woods are closest friends,


s: And they hold dear communion with the hills;


s: The voice of waters soothes them with its fall,


s: And the great winds bring healing in their sound.


s: Where pent up human forces labour and strive,


s: Where beauty dwells not, driven forth by man;


s: But where in winter they must live until


s: Summer gives back the spaces of the hills.


s: And all the gifts of her so lavish hand:


s: Sunshine and flowers, rivers and rushing winds,


s: Thick branches swaying in a winter storm,


s: And moonlight playing in a boat's wide wake;


s: But more than these, and much, ah, how much more,


s: Above me spreads the hot, blue mid-day sky,


s: Far down the hillside lies the sleeping lake


s: And scarcely ruffled by the little breeze


s: Which wanders idly through the nodding ferns.


s: The blue crest of the distant mountain, tops


s: The green crest of the hill on which I sit;


s: And it is summer, glorious, deep-toned summer,


s: The very crown of nature's changing year


s: When all her surging life is at its full.


s: A void and silent space between two worlds,


s: When inspiration lags, and feeling sleeps,


s: Gathering strength for efforts yet to come.


s: And closest contact with the human world


s: In constant intercourse with human minds,


s: And on all sides we feel the great world's heart;


s: The pulse and throb of life which makes us men!


s: "To-morrow to Fresh Woods and Pastures New"


s: As for a moment he stands, in hardy masculine beauty,


s: Poised on the fircrested rock, over the pool which below him


s: Eagerly scanning the future which is so soon to possess me.


s: Later the solitude vanished, confused and distracted the road


s: Where many were seeking and jostling.  Left behind were the trees


s: Diya  {original title is Greek, Delta-iota-psi-alpha}


s: Look, Dear, how bright the moonlight is to-night!


s: See where it casts the shadow of that tree


s: Of light night wind comes laden with the scent


s: Of opening flowers which never bloom by day:


s: Night-scented stocks, and four-o'clocks, and that


s: Pale yellow disk, upreared on its tall stalk,


s: The evening primrose, comrade of the stars.


s: It seems as though the garden which you love


s: Were like a swinging censer, its incense


s: To sanctify and bless our night of love.


s: Tell me once more you love me, that 't is you


s: Yes, really you, I touch, so, with my hand;


s: That you are here, and that you like to be


s: Just here, with me, under this sailing pine.


s: Doubts naturally, and finds it hard to trust.


s: Ah, Dearest, you are good to love me so,


s: And yet I would not have it goodness, rather


s: Me through and through, as flowers need the sun.


s: And I are here alone, and that the night


s: Is full of hours, and all the world asleep,


s: Has your life too been waiting for this time,


s: Not only mine the sharpness of this joy?


s: Dear Heart, I love you, worship you as though


s: I'm glad that you are beautiful, although


s: Were you not lovely still I needs must love;


s: But you are all things, it must have been so


s: For otherwise it were not you.  Come, close;


s: Faith grows a mountain and I take my stand


s: Upon its utmost top.  Yes, yes, once more


s: Have years behind been dark?  Will those to come


s: Bring unguessed sorrows into our two lives?


s: What does it matter, we have had to-night!


s: To-night will make us strong, for we believe


s: They join the hills and they span the brooks,


s: They weave like a shuttle between broad fields,


s: And slide discreetly through hidden nooks.


s: Every twist and turn, every hollow and hill!


s: They are set in my heart to a pulsing tune


s: 'T is the rhythmic beat of a horse's feet


s: 'T is the creaking trees, and the singing breeze,


s: And the rustle of leaves in the road-side ditch.


s: And the notes cut sharp through the autumn air,


s: Each chattering brook bears a fleet of leaves


s: Their cargo the rainbow, and just now where


s: The sun splashed bright on the road ahead


s: You curl your sun-spattered length along,


s: And the panting breath of the dogs I love.


s: The pageant of Autumn follows its course


s: And the blue sky of Autumn laughs above.


s: And the song and the country become as one,


s: Prismatic and shimmering, trembling to tone,


s: And always it beats in my listening ears


s: With the gentle thud of a horse's stride,


s: With the swift-falling steps of many dogs,


s: To the opaline gates of the Castles of Dream.


s: How still it is!  Sunshine itself here falls


s: In quiet shafts of light through the high trees


s: Which, arching, make a roof above the walls


s: Changing from sun to shadow as each breeze


s: Lingers a moment, charmed by the strange sight


s: Of vague romance, and time's long history;


s: Where tiers of grass-grown seats sprinkled with white,


s: Sweet-scented clover, form a broken sphere


s: Grouped round the stage in hushed expectancy.


s: What sound is that which echoes through the wood?


s: Perchance a minute more will see the brood


s: Of the shaggy forest god, and on his lip


s: Will rest the rushes he is wont to play.


s: His train in woven baskets bear ripe fruit


s: And weave a dance with ropes of gray acorns,


s: So light their touch the grasses scarcely sway


s: As they the measure tread to the lilting flute.


s: A cloud drifts idly over the shining sun.


s: How damp it seems, how silent, still, and strange!


s: Surely 't was here some tragedy was done,


s: And here the chorus sang each coming change?


s: Sure this is deep in some sweet, southern wood,


s: These are not pines, but cypress tall and dark;


s: That is no thrush which sings so rapturously,


s: But the nightingale in his most passionate mood


s: Bursting his little heart with anguish.  Hark!


s: The tread of sandalled feet comes noiselessly.


s: The silence almost is a sound, and dreams


s: Take on the semblances of finite things;


s: So potent is the spell that what but seems


s: Elsewhere, is lifted here on Fancy's wings.


s: The little woodland theatre seems to wait,


s: All tremulous with hope and wistful joy,


s: For something that is sure to come at last,


s: It grows a living presence, bold and shy,


s: The minstrel plucks at his silver strings,


s: The little green lizards run out and in.


s: And bubbles rise to the fountain's brim.


s: The minstrel touches his silver strings,


s: The minstrel beseeches his silver strings,


s: And holding the lady spellbound, sings: --


s: They fall on the terrace tiles like snow;


s: A humming-bird kisses the lips of a rose


s: The minstrel woos with his silver strings,


s: The lute and his singing their only speech;


s: Hark!  The beating of humming-birds' wings!


s: Nor night can ease her heart, her anguished labours stay.


s: From north and south, from east and west,


s: Has seared upon the night its flaming ruthless screed.


s: O Night!  Whose soothing presence brings


s: O Night!  Whose cloak of darkness clings


s: Is shed from a young moon, mysteriously bright.


s: Instead the glaring, man-filled city groans below!


s: On winter nights beside the nursery fire


s: We read the fairy tale, while glowing coals


s: Builded its pictures.  There before our eyes


s: We saw the vaulted hall of traceried stone


s: With pendent stalactites like frozen vines;


s: Curled upwards into pillars, roses climbed,


s: And ramped and were confined, and clustered leaves


s: Divided where there peered a laughing face.


s: The foliage seemed to rustle in the wind,


s: A silent murmur, carved in still, gray stone.


s: High pointed windows pierced the southern wall


s: Whence proud escutcheons flung prismatic fires


s: With pools of red, and quivering green, and blue;


s: And in the shade beyond the further door,


s: Its sober squares of black and white were hid


s: Beneath a restless, shuffling, wide-eyed mob


s: A sudden blare of trumpets, and the throng


s: Filed singly in with rare and precious gifts.


s: Our eager fancies noted all they brought,


s: Who cursed the child and left it bitterness.


s: The gifts are there, the many pleasant things:


s: Health, wealth, long-settled friendships, with a name


s: Which honors all who bear it, and the power


s: Of making words obedient.  This is much;


s: But overshadowing all is still the curse,


s: That never shall I be fulfilled by love!


s: Along the parching highroad of the world


s: Always shall I be teased with semblances,


s: With cruel impostures, which I trust awhile


s: Strews all the ground about with coloured sherds.


s: Even by hope or faith, my dragging steps


s: Force me forever through the passing days.


s: And dropped; and the thorns started through.


s: Bitter thorns to proclaim me your lover,


s: The bells are frost-bound, mute and still.


s: Topaz, and green, where light falls through


s: How can I thank thee for this gift of art


s: Poured out so lavishly, and not in vain.


s: So strange is Fate that it has been my lot


s: To learn through thee the presence of that aim


s: Which evermore must guide me.  All unknown,


s: By me unguessed, by thee not even dreamed,


s: A tree has blossomed in a night that seemed


s: Of stubborn, barren wood.  For thou hast sown


s: This seed of beauty in a ground of truth.


s: New music ringing through my fading youth.


s: A flickering glimmer through a window-pane,


s: A dim red glare through mud bespattered glass,


s: Cleaving a path between blown walls of sleet


s: To scatter and then quench itself in mist.


s: And struggling, slipping, often rudely hurled


s: And cursed, and reeled against, and flung aside


s: By drunken brawlers as they shuffled past,


s: A man was groping to what seemed a light.


s: His eyelids burnt and quivered with the strain


s: Of looking, and against his temples beat


s: He stumbled, lurched, and struck against a door


s: That opened, and a howl of obscene mirth


s: Grated his senses, wallowing on the floor


s: Lay men, and dogs and women in the dirt.


s: He sickened, loathing it, and as he gazed


s: The candle guttered, flared, and then went out.


s: Through travail of ignoble midnight streets


s: Where gothic saints and warriors made a shield


s: To cover him, and tortured gargoyles spat


s: One long continuous stream of silver rain


s: That clattered down from myriad roofs and spires


s: Into a darkness, loud with rushing sound


s: But always thickly dark.  Then as he leaned


s: Unconscious where, the great oak door blew back


s: And cast him, bruised and dripping, in the church.


s: His eyes from long sojourning in the night


s: Were blinded now as by some glorious sun;


s: He slowly crawled toward the altar steps.


s: He could not think, for heavy in his ears


s: He only knew that what he saw was light!


s: He bowed himself before a cross of flame


s: And shut his eyes in fear lest it should fade.


s: Blue through the window burns the twilight;


s: Heavy, through trees, blows the warm south wind.


s: Glistening, against the chill, gray sky light,


s: Wet, black branches are barred and entwined.


s: Sodden and spongy, the scarce-green grass plot


s: Puddles lie spilt in the road a mass, not


s: Of water, but steel, with its cold, hard sheen.


s: Faint fades the fire on the hearth, its embers


s: Above, the old weathercock groans, but remembers


s: Creaking, to turn, in its centuried rust.


s: Wrapping the mists round her withering form,


s: Day sinks down; and in darkness to-morrow


s: Travails to birth in the womb of the storm.


s: When hours were long and days sufficed to hold


s: Wide-eyed delights and pleasures uncontrolled


s: By shortening moments, when no gaunt presage


s: Haunted our happy minds; must thou withhold


s: Our twined fortunes?  Deeps of unhewn woods


s: Thy quiet, teeming vigor.  This our crime:


s: Not to have worshipped, marred by alien moods


s: The dreaming lapse of slow, unmeasured time.


s: On Carpaccio's Picture:  The Dream of St. Ursula


s: Swept, clean, and still, across the polished floor


s: From some unshuttered casement, hid from sight,


s: The level sunshine slants, its greater light


s: Quenching the little lamp which pallid, poor,


s: Has striven against darkness the long night.


s: Dawn fills the room, and penetrating, bright,


s: The silent sunbeams through the window pour.


s: And she lies sleeping, ignorant of Fate,


s: Enmeshed in listless dreams, her soul not yet


s: Ripened to bear the purport of this day.


s: The morning breeze scarce stirs the coverlet,


s: A shadow falls across the sunlight; wait!


s: That tears our life up into bits of days


s: Ticked off upon a clock which never stays,


s: We break away at last, and steal the key


s: Which hides a world empty of hours; ways


s: Scorching against the blue flame of the sky.


s: The bronze-gold glimmer of a carp; and I


s: Reach out my hand and pluck a nectarine.


s: Cloud-topped and splendid, dominating all


s: The little lesser hills which compass thee,


s: Thou standest, bright with April's buoyancy,


s: Of stern, steep rock; and startled by the call


s: Of Spring, thy trees flush with expectancy


s: Pale shrivelled oak leaves, while the snow beneath


s: Melts at their phantom touch.  Another year


s: Is quick with import.  Such each year has been.


s: Unmoved thou watchest all, and all bequeath


s: Where deep the heavy, dazzling mountain snow


s: Lies far into the spring.  The sun's pale glow


s: Of nature's tender ministries.  But no, --


s: For wonder-working faith has made it blow


s: Here sleeps the sun long, idle summer hours;


s: Here butterflies and bees fare far to rove


s: Amid the crumpled leaves of poppy flowers;


s: Here four o'clocks, to the passionate night above


s: Fling whiffs of perfume, like pale incense showers.


s: A little garden, loved with a great love!


s: Thou yellow trumpeter of laggard Spring!


s: Thou herald of rich Summer's myriad flowers!


s: The climbing sun with new recovered powers


s: Does warm thee into being, through the ring


s: Of rich, brown earth he woos thee, makes thee fling


s: Thy green shoots up, inheriting the dowers


s: Of bending sky and sudden, sweeping showers,


s: Till ripe and blossoming thou art a thing


s: To make all nature glad, thou art so gay;


s: To stand erect, full in the dazzling play


s: Of April's sun, for thou hast caught his gold.


s: 'T is you that are the music, not your song.


s: The song is but a door which, opening wide,


s: Your spirit's harmony, which clear and strong


s: Sings but of you.  Throughout your whole life long


s: Your songs, your thoughts, your doings, each divide


s: This perfect beauty; waves within a tide,


s: The song of earth has many different chords;


s: Yet always ocean.  In the damp Spring woods


s: The painted trillium smiles, while crisp pine cones


s: Always the light recedes; with groping hands


s: We stretch toward this glory, while the lands


s: We journey through are hidden from our sight


s: Dim and mysterious, folded deep in night,


s: We care not, all our utmost need demands


s: Is but the light, the light!  So still it stands


s: Fool!  Never can'st thou grasp this fleeting gleam,


s: Its glowing flame would die if it were caught,


s: But just a little farther on.  Distraught,


s: A face seen passing in a crowded street,


s: A voice heard singing music, large and free;


s: And from that moment life is changed, and we


s: No knowledge taught by unrelenting years,


s: Can quench this fierce, untamable desire.


s: We know that what we long for once achieved


s: Will cease to satisfy.  Be still our fears;


s: If what we worship fail us, still the fire


s: Burns on, and it is much to have believed.


s: Must all of worth be travailled for, and those


s: Life's brightest stars rise from a troubled sea?


s: Leaving us doubting whose the conquering blows,


s: Are we or Fate the victors?  Time which shows


s: Shall never know the upshot.  Ours to be


s: Wasted with longing, shattered in the throes,


s: The agonies of splendid dreams, which day


s: Dims from our vision, but each night brings back;


s: We strive to hold their grandeur, and essay


s: To be the thing we dream.  Sudden we lack


s: The flash of insight, life grows drear and gray,


s: And hour follows hour, nerveless, slack.


s: Life!  Austere arbiter of each man's fate,


s: By whom he learns that Nature's steadfast laws


s: Your even forward march!  Not yet too late


s: Teach me the needed lesson, when to wait


s: To stretch the loosened cordage.  One implores


s: Has gone uncurbed and roughshod while the years


s: Have lengthened into decades; now distressed


s: He knows no rule by which to move or stay,


s: And teased with restlessness and desperate fears


s: He dares not watch in silence thy wise way


s: Bringing about results none could have guessed.


s: Nothing he sees can hold him, nothing daunt


s: Setting in splendour every night has won


s: Though faint with weariness he must possess


s: He spurns life's human friendships to profess


s: The wind is singing through the trees to-night,


s: And crashing intervals.  No summer breeze


s: Is this, though hot July is at its height,


s: She listens to this booming like the seas,


s: Which call to her to answer their swift might.


s: Above the tossing trees shines down a star,


s: Quietly bright; this wild, tumultuous joy


s: Quickens nor dims its splendour.  And my mind,


s: O Star! is filled with your white light, from far,


s: The freedom of the onward sweeping wind.


s: The path runs straight between the flowering rows,


s: A moonlit path, hemmed in by beds of bloom,


s: Where phlox and marigolds dispute for room


s: With tall, red dahlias and the briar rose.


s: Into the night these wafts of rich perfume


s: Which sweep across the garden like a plume.


s: Over the trees a single bright star glows.


s: Dear garden of my childhood, here my years


s: Have run away like little grains of sand;


s: The moments of my life, its hopes and fears


s: Have all found utterance here, where now I stand;


s: My eyes ache with the weight of unshed tears,


s: How is it that, being gone, you fill my days,


s: And all the long nights are made glad by thee?


s: But great content that these should be the ways


s: Whereby the Fancy, dreaming as she strays,


s: Makes bright and present what she would would be.


s: Is not with dreams so pregnant.  For delays


s: And hindrances may bar the wished-for end;


s: Our souls from coming near enough to blend;


s: Let me but think we have the same intent,


s: That each one needs to call the other, "friend!"


s: That always you will be my dream of you;


s: There are who strike in us a chord we knew


s: And heaven-born castles shattered to the ground,


s: Yet still our human longing vainly clings


s: To a belief in beauty through all wrongs.


s: O stay your hand, and leave my heart its songs!


s: What torture lurks within a single thought


s: When grown too constant, and however kind,


s: Aches with its presence.  Dull remembrance taught


s: Become a habit, and we struggle, caught.


s: How crushed I am with having you at rest


s: You bind my freedom from its rightful quest.


s: In mercy lift your drooping wings and go.


s: Your speech evokes a thousand sympathies,


s: Had severed all the strings with savage ease.


s: No, do not talk; but let us rather seize


s: This intimate gift of silence which we know.


s: Others may guess your thoughts from what you say,


s: As storms are guessed from clouds where darkness broods.


s: Reveals its inner purpose and its moods;


s: As poplars feel the rain and then straightway


s: Reverse their leaves and shimmer through the woods.


s: My heart is tuned to sorrow, and the strings


s: Searching and sad; my mind is stuffed with words


s: Which voice the passion and the ache of things:


s: Illusions beating with their baffled wings


s: Against the walls of circumstance, and hoards


s: Of all a bruised life's maimed imaginings.


s: Now you are come!  You tremble like a star


s: Poised where, behind earth's rim, the sun has set.


s: Your voice has sung across my heart, but numb


s: And mute, I have no tones to answer.  Far


s: Within I kneel before you, speechless yet,


s: How empty seems the town now you are gone!


s: A wilderness of sad streets, where gaunt walls


s: On white, dead faces tombed in halls of stone.


s: The whir of motors, stricken through with calls


s: Of playing boys, floats up at intervals;


s: But all these noises blur to one long moan.


s: What quest is worth pursuing?  And how strange


s: That other men still go accustomed ways!


s: I hate their interest in the things they do.


s: A spectre-horde repeating without change


s: Are still-born, and the world stopped, lacking you.


s: Which knocked insurgent at the gates of thought.


s: The crumbled wreck of years behind has wrought


s: Which hope too long has whispered.  So I sought


s: The sleep which would not come, and night was fraught


s: I heard your voice again, and knew the things


s: Which you had promised proved an empty vaunt.


s: I felt your clinging hands while night's broad wings


s: Cherished our love in darkness.  From the lawn


s: A sudden, quivering birdnote, like a taunt.


s: My arms held nothing but the empty dawn.


s: I learnt to write to you in happier days,


s: From off my heart, a fragment newly clipped


s: From the mosaic of life; its blues and grays,


s: Its throbbing reds, I gave to earn your praise.


s: To make a pavement for your feet I stripped


s: My soul for you to walk upon, and slipped


s: Beneath your steps to soften all your ways.


s: But now my letters are like blossoms pale


s: We strew upon a grave with hopeless tears.


s: Although you do not heed; the long, sad years


s: Still pass, and still I scatter flowers frail,


s: And whisper words of love which no one hears.


s: Throughout the echoing chambers of my brain


s: I hear your words in mournful cadence toll


s: Like some slow passing-bell which warns the soul


s: Of sundering darkness.  Unrelenting, fain


s: Stroke after stroke, insistent diastole,


s: The bitter blows of truth, until the whole


s: Is hammered into fact made strangely plain.


s: Where shall I look for comfort?  Not to you.


s: Our worlds are drawn apart, our spirit's suns


s: Divided, and the light of mine burnt dim.


s: Your will.  I grasp the cup which over-runs,


s: And with my trembling lips I touch the rim.


s: Of self confines my poor rebellious soul,


s: I never see the towering white clouds roll


s: Before a sturdy wind, save through the small


s: Barred window of my jail.  I live a thrall


s: With all my outer life a clipped, square hole,


s: Unwound and winding like a worsted ball.


s: My thoughts are grown uneager and depressed


s: Through being always mine, my fancy's wings


s: Are moulted and the feathers blown away.


s: White, glittering sunlight fills the market square,


s: Spotted and sprigged with shadows.  Double rows


s: Of bartering booths spread out their tempting shows


s: Of globed and golden fruit, the morning air


s: Smells sweet with ripeness, on the pavement there


s: Spilling out cool, blue plums.  The market glows,


s: And flaunts, and clatters in its busy care.


s: Lifts its twin spires to the distant sky,


s: Pinnacled, carved and buttressed; through the wide


s: Arched doorway peals an organ, suddenly --


s: Crashing, triumphant in its pregnant tide,


s: Quenching the square in vibrant harmony.


s: He died of "Stranger's Fever" when his youth


s: The chiselled legend runs; a brother's woe


s: Of a sunny, bright, but alien land, uncouth


s: With cruel caressing dealt a mortal blow,


s: And by this summer sea where flowers grow


s: In tropic splendor, witness to the truth


s: The law of duty urged that he should roam,


s: Should sail from fog and chilly airs to skies


s: Clear with deceitful welcome.  He had come


s: With proud resolve, but still his lonely eyes


s: Ached with fatigue at never seeing home.


s: Poor foolish monarch, vacillating, vain,


s: Swift Destiny shook out her purple wings


s: And caught him in their shadow; not again


s: Could furtive plotting smear another stain


s: Across his tarnished honour.  Smoulderings


s: And blotted out in smoke his lost domain.


s: Bereft of courtiers, only with his queen,


s: No challenge screamed from hostile carabine.


s: Beneath the stars, and through a tranquil sea.


s: Whose orbed and ripened genius lightly hung


s: From life's slim, twisted tendril and there swung


s: In crimson-sphered completeness; guardian


s: Of crystal portals through whose openings fan


s: The spiced winds which blew when earth was young,


s: Scattering wreaths of stars, as Jove once flung


s: A youth who trudged the highroad we tread now


s: Thou dear and well-loved haunt of happy hours,


s: Gained by a little painful spiral stair,


s: Far from the halls and corridors where throng


s: The crowd of casual readers, have I passed


s: Long, peaceful hours seated on the floor


s: Of some retired nook, all lined with books,


s: Above, below, on every side, high shelved


s: From careless grasp of transient interest,


s: Stand books we can but dimly see, their charm


s: Much greater that their titles are unread;


s: And we must stoop in painful posture while


s: We read their names and learn their histories.


s: Midway between the ceiling and the floor.


s: A type of those high thoughts, which while we read


s: Hover between the earth and furthest heaven


s: As fancy wills, leaving the printed page;


s: For books but give the theme, our hearts the rest,


s: Enriching simple words with unguessed harmony


s: Reading at times, and at times simply dreaming,


s: The confidant of intimate hopes and fears;


s: A place where are engendered pleasant thoughts,


s: And as in some gay garden stretched upon


s: A genial southern slope, warmed by the sun,


s: The flowers give their fragrance joyously


s: So books give up the all of what they mean


s: Only when touched by reverent hands, and read


s: By those who love and feel as well as think.


s: For books are more than books, they are the life,


s: The reason why men lived, and worked, and died,


s: The essence and quintessence of their lives.


s: The inner motives whence their actions sprang,


s: Their bodily presence, the soul forever hid


s: And find them out, and know them for our friends;


s: These men who toiled and wrote only for this,


s: As each perceived and each alone could tell.


s: Who lingers yet in the deep womb of time.


s: The shifting sun pierces the young green leaves


s: And splashes on the floor and on the books


s: Through old, high, rounded windows, dim with age.


s: Float softened to us across the old graveyard.


s: The room is filled with a warm, mellow light,


s: The books upon the shelves are old and worn.


s: That placed them here, tricked in a modern guise,


s: Our fathers' fathers, slowly and carefully


s: Gathered them, one by one, when they were new


s: And a delighted world received their thoughts


s: Because they are so old and grown so dear!


s: The backs of tarnished gold, the faded boards,


s: The slightly yellowing page, the strange old type,


s: The thoughts peculiar to the man who wrote


s: As though the idiom of a man were caught


s: And stretching backward, dim and dimmer still,


s: Grapes do not come of thorns nor figs of thistles,


s: And even a great poet's divinest thought


s: Is coloured by the world he knows and sees.


s: The little intimate things of every day,


s: The trivial nothings that we think not of,


s: These go to make a part of each man's life;


s: As much a part as do the larger thoughts


s: He takes account of.  Nay, the little things


s: Of daily life it is which mold, and shape,


s: And make him apt for noble deeds and true.


s: And as we read some much-loved masterpiece,


s: With eyes that brimmed with tears as he saw


s: The message he believed in stamped in type


s: We seem to clasp his hand across the past,


s: He is at one with his own glorious creed


s: And all that in his world was dared and done.


s: The long, still, fruitful hours slip away


s: We know ourselves the richer to have sat


s: Upon this dusty floor and dreamed our dreams.


s: No other place to us were quite the same,


s: No other dreams so potent in their charm,


s: Of every narrow stair is known and loved;


s: The dear, old, sleepy place is full of spells


s: The building simply bodies forth a thought


s: Have learnt to love the very form in which


s: The thought has been embodied to our years.


s: We too are one with our own richest past;


s: And here that veiled, but ever smouldering fire


s: Of race, which rarely seen yet never dies,


s: Springs up afresh and warms us with its heat.


s: And must they take away this treasure house,


s: And leafy lanes of old time literatures?


s: It takes some time for moss and vines to grow


s: And warmly cover gaunt and chill stone walls


s: Of stately buildings from the cold North Wind.


s: A place which since without it were bereft,


s: All stript and bare, shorn of its chiefest grace.


s: With this which is our birthright; if we lose


s: Which Time's slow ripening alone can make,


s: And man's blind foolishness so quickly mar.


s: And seahorses stabled in great green caves.


s: There are stairs that go up, and stairs that go down,


s: But of all of the rooms, even mother's and mine,


s: I like the green dining-room so much the best


s: Right over your head is a funny round hole


s: There's a big bunch of grapes all purply and sweet,


s: They tumble and tumble, but never come down


s: Though I've stood underneath a long while


s: With my mouth open wide, for I always have hoped


s: And one night when at bedtime I crept in to see,


s: I am sure they are magical fruits, and each one


s: Makes you hear things, or see things, or go


s: For the ladder's too heavy to lift, and the chairs


s: I've given up hope, and I feel I shall die


s: It's a little bit sad, when you seem very near


s: Which nearly begin, and then don't; and you know


s: High up in the apple tree climbing I go,


s: Each branch is the step of a wonderful stair


s: Which leads to the town I see shining up there.


s: The gleam of a turret, the glint of a dome,


s: All sparkling and bright, like white sea foam.


s: The leaves are thick, but I push my way through;


s: But to-day I am sure I shall reach the top.


s: Today to the end of the marvelous stair,


s: Where those glittering pinacles flash in the air!


s: With the sky close above me, the earth far below.


s: He shouts in the sails of the ships at sea,


s: He makes the forest trees rustle and sing,


s: He twirls my kite till it breaks its string.


s: He calls up the fog and hides the hills,


s: He whirls the wings of the great windmills,


s: The weathercocks love him and turn to discover


s: His whereabouts -- but he's gone, the rover!


s: The pine trees toss him their cones with glee,


s: The flag in front of the school unfurls.


s: | Advertisements of books by the same author |


s: (These are taken from the back of the 1916 printing.)


s: "Verses that show delicate appreciation of the beautiful, and


s: everlastingnesse'." -- Ferris Greenslet, in the 'New Republic'.


s: This vitality, though manifold in expression, is felt primarily


s: in his sensations -- surprise mingled with delight --


s: "One after one, like tasting a sweet food."


s: This is life's "first fine rapture".  It makes him patient to


s: he the "Great Lover".  Lover of what, then?  Why, of


s: but it is soon aware of the "outlets of the sky".


s: He sees objects practically unrelated, and links them in strings;


s: the thought suggests the picture and is its origin.


s: Then the Great Lover revisits the bottom of the monstrous world,


s: as an artist in his birth trying the wings of genius.


s: The poet loves his new-found element.  He clings to mortality;


s: to life, not thought; or, as he puts it, to the concrete, --


s: in college air?  Intellectual primacy showed itself to him


s: in many wandering "loves", fine lover that he was; but in the end


s: a less "ample ether", a less "divine air", our fathers thought,


s: but poets of "eternity".  A quintessential drop of intellect


s: How bravely he tries to free himself from the cling of earth,


s: at the close of the "Great Lover"!  How little he succeeds!


s: His muse knew only earthly tongues, -- so far as he understood.


s: the world that "passes away".  The poetic eye of Keats saw it, --


s: The reflective mind of Arnold meditated it, --


s: Hath really neither joy, nor love, nor light,


s: Nor certitude, nor peace, nor help for pain." --


s: Stays here, and changes, breaks, grows old, is blown


s: About the winds of the world, and fades from brains


s: "Oh, never a doubt but somewhere I shall wake;"


s: Returning, shall give back the golden hours,


s: again, best of all, in the last word, --


s: And count, and touch, and turn them o'er,


s: He cannot forego his sensations, that "box of compacted sweets".


s: beautiful with the burden of Greek lyricism, ends triumphant


s: "Proud, then, clear-eyed and laughing, go to greet


s: Life, in this volume, is hardly less evident by its ecstasy


s: "And I should sleep, and I should sleep," --


s: or the sestet of "Waikiki", or the whole fainting sonnet


s: entitled "A Memory", belong to the nadir of vitality.  At moments


s: he cannot forget the beautiful surface of his South Sea idyls


s: or of versified English gardens and lanes.  He cared as much


s: his early attachment to the concrete; in the rush of words,


s: "at dead YOUTH's funeral:" all were there, --


s: "All, except only LOVE -- LOVE had died long ago."


s: The poem is like a vision of an old time MASQUE: --


s: "ARDOUR, the sunlight on his greying hair" ----


s: "BEAUTY . . . pale in her black; dry-eyed, she stood alone."


s: "And light on waving grass, he knows not when,


s: And feet that ran, but where, he cannot tell."


s: "And feel, who have laid our groping hands away;


s: And see, no longer blinded by our eyes,"


s: "And evening hush broken by homing wings,"


s: contrast and climax, and the like, adept in the handling


s: of poetic rhetoric that he had come to be; but in three ways


s: he was conspicuously successful in his art.


s: The first of these -- they are all in the larger forms of art --


s: is the dramatic sonnet, by which I do not mean merely


s: a sonnet in dialogue or advancing by simple contrast;


s: but one in which there may be these things, but also there is


s: "We shall go down with unreluctant tread,


s: Rose-crowned into the darkness! . . .  Proud we were,


s: And laughed, that had such brave true things to say.


s: -- And then you suddenly cried and turned away."


s: The second great success of his genius, formally considered,


s: These are all master poems of a kaleidoscopic beauty and charm,


s: He thoroughly enjoys doing the poetical magic.  Such bits of


s: English retreats or Pacific paradises, so full of idyllic charm,


s: an effect of abundant vitality, and it makes facile the change


s: from grave to gay and the like.  The "melange", as I call it,


s: But in his first notes, if I may indulge my private taste,


s: I find more of the intoxication of the god.  These early poems


s: are the lyrical cries and luminous flares of a dawn, no doubt;


s: though rare in experience, it is real.  A young poet's poem;


s: entitled "Sleeping Out", charms me and stirs me with


s: its golden clangors and crying flames of emotion as it mounts up


s: it occurs repeatedly.  And another poem, -- not to make


s: too long a story of my private enthusiasms -- "Ante Aram", --


s: "voice more sweet than the far plaint of viols is,


s: Or the soft moan of any grey-eyed lute player."


s: There Rupert Brooke was buried.  Thither have gone the thoughts


s: of his countrymen, and the hearts of the young especially.


s: Sonnet:  "Oh! Death will find me, long before I tire"


s: Sonnet:  "I said I splendidly loved you; it's not true"


s: Sonnet (Suggested by some of the Proceedings


s: Alone with the enduring Earth, and Night,


s: And Silence, and the warm strange smell of clover;


s: Clear-visioned, though it break you; far apart


s: From the dead best, the dear and old delight;


s: Here's peace for you, and surety; here the one


s: Wisdom -- the truth! -- "All day the good glad sun


s: Showers love and labour on you, wine and song;


s: The greenwood laughs, the wind blows, all day long


s: Till night."  And night ends all things.


s: No lamp relumed in heaven, no voices crying,


s: Or changing lights, or dreams and forms that hover!


s: That gladness and those tears are over, over. . . .)


s: And has the truth brought no new hope at all,


s: Heart, that you're weeping yet for Paradise?


s: Do they still whisper, the old weary cries?


s: Proud, then, clear-eyed and laughing, go to greet


s: Strain through the dark with undesirous eyes


s: To what may lie beyond it.  Sets your star,


s: O heart, for ever!  Yet, behind the night,


s: Waits for the great unborn, somewhere afar,


s: Some white tremendous daybreak.  And the light,


s: Returning, shall give back the golden hours,


s: Spacious and full of sunlit dancing-places,


s: And laughter, and music, and, among the flowers,


s: The gay child-hearts of men, and the child-faces


s: Tenderly, day that I have loved, I close your eyes,


s: And smooth your quiet brow, and fold your thin dead hands.


s: The grey veils of the half-light deepen; colour dies.


s: I bear you, a light burden, to the shrouded sands,


s: Where lies your waiting boat, by wreaths of the sea's making


s: Mist-garlanded, with all grey weeds of the water crowned.


s: There you'll be laid, past fear of sleep or hope of waking;


s: And over the unmoving sea, without a sound,


s: Faint hands will row you outward, out beyond our sight,


s: Us with stretched arms and empty eyes on the far-gleaming


s: Further than laughter goes, or tears, further than dreaming,


s: There'll be no port, no dawn-lit islands!  But the drear


s: Waste darkening, and, at length, flame ultimate on the deep.


s: Oh, the last fire -- and you, unkissed, unfriended there!


s: Oh, the lone way's red ending, and we not there to weep!


s: (We found you pale and quiet, and strangely crowned with flowers,


s: Came happily, hand in hand with the young dancing hours,


s: High on the downs at dawn!)  Void now and tenebrous,


s: Fragrant of June and clover, floats the dark, and fills


s: The hollow sea's dead face with little creeping shadows,


s: And the white silence brims the hollow of the hills.


s: Close in the nest is folded every weary wing,


s: Hushed all the joyful voices; and we, who held you dear,


s: Eastward we turn and homeward, alone, remembering . . .


s: Day that I loved, day that I loved, the Night is here!


s: High and cold thou dreamest, O queen, high-dreaming and lonely.


s: We have slept too long, who can hardly win


s: The white one flame, and the night-long crying;


s: The viewless passers; the world's low sighing


s: To the heatless fire, to the flameless ecstasy! . . .


s: And around me the feet of thy watchers tread.


s: There is a rumour and a radiance of wings above my head,


s: Brushing cool on the forehead, croon slumbrous things.


s: Earth fades; and the air is thrilled with ways,


s: Dewy paths full of comfort.  And radiant bands,


s: The gracious presence of friendly hands,


s: Help the blind one, the glad one, who stumbles and strays,


s: Stretching wavering hands, up, up, through the praise


s: Of a myriad silver trumpets, through cries,


s: To all glory, to all gladness, to the infinite height,


s: To the gracious, the unmoving, the mother eyes,


s: And the laughter, and the lips, of light.


s: Were dazzled and drunk with the misty gold,


s: The golden glory that drowned and crowned me


s: Eddied and swayed through the room . . .


s: Dull blear-eyed scribbling fools, grew fair,


s: Ringed round and haloed with holy light.


s: And their burning eyes grew young and wise,


s: And they were but fools again, fools unknowing,


s: Still scribbling, blear-eyed and stolid immortals.


s: I'd watched the sorrow of the evening sky,


s: And smelt the sea, and earth, and the warm clover,


s: And heard the waves, and the seagull's mocking cry.


s: That song they always sing -- "The best is over!


s: You may remember now, and think, and sigh,


s: And I was tired and sick that all was over,


s: For all my thinking, never could recover


s: One moment of the good hours that were over.


s: And I was sorry and sick, and wished to die.


s: I saw the pines against the white north sky,


s: Very beautiful, and still, and bending over


s: Their sharp black heads against a quiet sky.


s: Was happy, and forgot to play the lover,


s: And laughed, and did no longer wish to die;


s: Being glad of you, O pine-trees and the sky!


s: And wants to hear the noise they're making.


s: He likes to feel his heart's a-breaking.


s: The music swells.  His gross legs quiver.


s: Slowly up silent peaks, the white edge of the world,


s: Trod four archangels, clear against the unheeding sky,


s: Bearing, with quiet even steps, and great wings furled,


s: A little dingy coffin; where a child must lie,


s: It was so tiny.  (Yet, you had fancied, God could never


s: Have bidden a child turn from the spring and the sunlight,


s: And shut him in that lonely shell, to drop for ever


s: Into the emptiness and silence, into the night. . . .)


s: They then from the sheer summit cast, and watched it fall,


s: Through unknown glooms, that frail black coffin -- and therein


s: God's little pitiful Body lying, worn and thin,


s: And curled up like some crumpled, lonely flower-petal --


s: Till it was no more visible; then turned again


s: With sorrowful quiet faces downward to the plain.


s: Swiftly out from the friendly lilt of the band,


s: The crowd's good laughter, the loved eyes of men,


s: Where, down beyond the low untrodden strand,


s: There curves and glimmers outward to the unknown


s: Is rife with magic and movement.  I stray alone


s: Here on the edge of silence, half afraid,


s: Waiting a sign.  In the deep heart of me


s: The sullen waters swell towards the moon,


s: Leaps a gay fragment of some mocking tune,


s: That tinkles and laughs and fades along the sand,


s: And dies between the seawall and the sea.


s: She was wrinkled and huge and hideous?  She was our Mother.


s: She was lustful and lewd? -- but a God; we had none other.


s: She was hungry and ate our children; -- how should we stay Her?


s: She took our young men and our maidens; -- ours to obey Her.


s: (Halted around the fire by night, after moon-set,


s: Thou whom we seek, whom we shall find? . . .


s: And songs of pilgrims unreturning! . . .


s: Our hearts are sick of fruitless homing,


s: (Sung, on one night, in the cities, in the darkness.)


s: Ye are sober and dull through the common day,


s: It is shameful night, and God is asleep!


s: (Have you not felt the quick fires that creep


s: Through the hungry flesh, and the lust of delight,


s: And hot secrets of dreams that day cannot say?).


s: The night calls out to you.        Come, ah, come!


s: Down the dim stairs, through the creaking door,


s: Ye are men no longer, but less and more,


s: Beast and God. . . .  Down the lampless street,


s: By little black ways, and secret places,


s: By the star-glint seen -- ah! follow with us!


s: For the darkness whispers a blind desire,


s: Though mad whispers woo you, and hot hands cling,


s: And the touch and the smell of bare flesh sting,


s: Soft flank by your flank, and side brushing side --


s: To the black unresting plains of the calling sea.


s: I swore that I would burst the Iron Gate,


s: Rise up, and curse Him on His throne of fire.


s: Earth shuddered at my crown of blasphemy,


s: Proud up the Golden Stair I strode; and beat


s: Thrice on the Gate, and entered with a cry --


s: All the great courts were quiet in the sun,


s: And full of vacant echoes:  moss had grown


s: To creep within the dusty council-halls.


s: And stirred the heavy curtains on the walls.


s: Before thy shrine I kneel, an unknown worshipper,


s: Chanting strange hymns to thee and sorrowful litanies,


s: Incense of dirges, prayers that are as holy myrrh.


s: Ah, goddess, on thy throne of tears and faint low sighs,


s: Weary at last to theeward come the feet that err,


s: And empty hearts grown tired of the world's vanities.


s: How fair this cool deep silence to a wanderer


s: Deaf with the roar of winds along the open skies!


s: Sweet, after sting and bitter kiss of sea-water,


s: The pale Lethean wine within thy chalices!


s: I come before thee, I, too tired wanderer,


s: To heed the horror of the shrine, the distant cries,


s: And evil whispers in the gloom, or the swift whirr


s: Of terrible wings -- I, least of all thy votaries,


s: With a faint hope to see the scented darkness stir,


s: And, parting, frame within its quiet mysteries


s: One face, with lips than autumn-lilies tenderer,


s: And voice more sweet than the far plaint of viols is,


s: Or the soft moan of any grey-eyed lute-player.


s: (From the train between Bologna and Milan, second class.)


s: Opposite me two Germans snore and sweat.


s: Through sullen swirling gloom we jolt and roar.


s: A dim watch tells two hours, two aeons, more.


s: The windows are tight-shut and slimy-wet


s: With a night's foetor.  There are two hours more;


s: Two hours to dawn and Milan; two hours yet.


s: Opposite me two Germans sweat and snore. . . .


s: One of them wakes, and spits, and sleeps again.


s: The darkness shivers.  A wan light through the rain


s: Strikes on our faces, drawn and white.  Somewhere


s: A new day sprawls; and, inside, the foul air


s: Is chill, and damp, and fouler than before. . . .


s: Opposite me two Germans sweat and snore.


s: And flashed through ranks of frightened stars


s: Your laugh shall fill the world with flame,


s: And darkness falls, with scornful thunder,


s: Is it the hour?  We leave this resting-place


s: Now, for a god-speed, one last mad embrace;


s: The long road then, unlit by your faint smile.


s: Oh, I'll remember! but . . . each crawling day


s: Will pale a little your scarlet lips, each mile


s: Dull the dear pain of your remembered face.


s: . . . Do you think there's a far border town, somewhere,


s: The desert's edge, last of the lands we know,


s: In which I'll find you waiting; and we'll go


s: Together, hand in hand again, out there,


s: Into the waste we know not, into the night?


s: Some day I shall rise and leave my friends


s: And seek you again through the world's far ends,


s: (Touch of your hands and smell of your hair!),


s: Though the sullen years and the mark of pain


s: Have changed you wholly; for I shall know


s: (How could I forget having loved you so?),


s: So then at the ends of the earth I'll stand


s: I'll curse the thing that once you were,


s: (Lips that were scarlet, hair that was gold!),


s: And I loved you before you were old and wise,


s: When the flame of youth was strong in your eyes,


s: Sonnet:  "Oh! Death will find me, long before I tire"


s: Oh! Death will find me, long before I tire


s: Of the last land!  There, waiting patiently,


s: One day, I think, I'll feel a cool wind blowing,


s: See a slow light across the Stygian tide,


s: And hear the Dead about me stir, unknowing,


s: And tremble.  And I shall know that you have died,


s: And watch you, a broad-browed and smiling dream,


s: Pass, light as ever, through the lightless host,


s: Quietly ponder, start, and sway, and gleam --


s: Most individual and bewildering ghost! --


s: And turn, and toss your brown delightful head


s: Sonnet:  "I said I splendidly loved you; it's not true"


s: I said I splendidly loved you; it's not true.


s: Such long swift tides stir not a land-locked sea.


s: On gods or fools the high risk falls -- on you --


s: The clean clear bitter-sweet that's not for me.


s: Love soars from earth to ecstasies unwist.


s: Love is flung Lucifer-like from Heaven to Hell.


s: But -- there are wanderers in the middle mist,


s: Who cry for shadows, clutch, and cannot tell


s: Whether they love at all, or, loving, whom:


s: An old song's lady, a fool in fancy dress,


s: Or phantoms, or their own face on the gloom;


s: For love of Love, or from heart's loneliness.


s: Pleasure's not theirs, nor pain.  They doubt, and sigh,


s: I think if you had loved me when I wanted;


s: If I'd looked up one day, and seen your eyes,


s: And found my wild sick blasphemous prayer granted,


s: And your brown face, that's full of pity and wise,


s: Flushed suddenly; the white godhead in new fear


s: Intolerably so struggling, and so shamed;


s: Most holy and far, if you'd come all too near,


s: If earth had seen Earth's lordliest wild limbs tamed,


s: Shaken, and trapped, and shivering, for MY touch --


s: Myself should I have slain? or that foul you?


s: But this the strange gods, who had given so much,


s: To have seen and known you, this they might not do.


s: One last shame's spared me, one black word's unspoken;


s: We'll ride the air, and shine, and flit,


s: Out of the garden, higher, higher. . . .


s: And the weak passionless hearts will burn


s: And they will know -- poor fools, they'll know! --


s: Less than the breath of children playing,


s: We'll have, -- THAT day, what shall we do?


s: Who've reached their second-best?  Being wise,


s: And blood lies quiet, for all you're near;


s: Where trumpets sang; when the mere skies


s: So I, from paint, stone, tale, and rhyme,


s: For the uttermost years have cried and clung


s: And hair long dust was caught, was flung,


s: And Life has fired, and Death not shaded,


s: And the height o' the world has flamed and faded,


s: Who lips the roots o' the shore, and glides


s: Drowned colour there, but black to hues,


s: Blue brilliant from dead starless skies,


s: Dateless and deathless, blind and still,


s: Where hope is fleet and thought flies after,


s: The strife of limbs, the sightless clinging,


s: How can we find? how can we rest? how can


s: We, being gods, win joy, or peace, being man?


s: Kiss with blind lips that seek beyond the lips,


s: Who want, and know not what we want, and cry


s: With crooked mouths for Heaven, and throw it by.


s: Love's for completeness!  No perfection grows


s: 'Twixt leg, and arm, elbow, and ear, and nose,


s: Sprawling desires, shapeless, perverse, denied.


s: Finger with finger wreathes; we love, and gape,


s: Fantastic shape to mazed fantastic shape,


s: Straggling, irregular, perplexed, embossed,


s: By crescive paths and strange protuberant ways


s: From sanity and from wholeness and from grace.


s: How can love triumph, how can solace be,


s: Where fever turns toward fever, knee toward knee?


s: Simple as our thought and as perfectible,


s: Unfluctuant passion for some perfect sphere,


s: Following the round clear orb of her delight,


s: Patiently ever, through the eternal night!


s: Those that I could have loved went by me;


s: Saw hands that beckoned, shone, were gone


s: Brought peace, and pursuit baffled quite,


s: Where between pine-woods dipped the way.


s: And bowed, slid in, and sighed and curled,


s: Yet -- with cold heart and cold wet brows


s: I lay.  And the dark fell. . . .  There grew


s: And silence, silence, silence found me. . . .


s: Breathless, we flung us on the windy hill,


s: Laughed in the sun, and kissed the lovely grass.


s: You said, "Through glory and ecstasy we pass;


s: Wind, sun, and earth remain, the birds sing still,


s: When we are old, are old. . . ."  "And when we die


s: All's over that is ours; and life burns on


s: Through other lovers, other lips," said I,


s: -- "Heart of my heart, our heaven is now, is won!"


s: "We are Earth's best, that learnt her lesson here.


s: Life is our cry.  We have kept the faith!" we said;


s: "We shall go down with unreluctant tread


s: Rose-crowned into the darkness!" . . .  Proud we were,


s: And laughed, that had such brave true things to say.


s: -- And then you suddenly cried, and turned away.


s: And sighs, "The dear dead boyish pastime!


s: -- Better oblivion hide dead true loves,


s: Than men, to eke the praise of new loves,


s: He wakes, who never thought to wake again,


s: Who held the end was Death.  He opens eyes


s: Closed down by the strange eyeless heavens.  He lies;


s: And waits; and once in timeless sick surmise


s: Through the dead air heaves up an unknown hand,


s: Like a dry branch.  No life is in that land,


s: Himself not lives, but is a thing that cries;


s: An unmeaning point upon the mud; a speck


s: Cleansed of the world, sentient and dead; a fly


s: Fast-stuck in grey sweat on a corpse's neck.


s: I thought when love for you died, I should die.


s: It's dead.  Alone, most strangely, I live on.


s: Swings the way still by hollow and hill,


s: "She's far," it sings me, "but fair," it rings me,


s: Oh! spite of the miles and years between us,


s: Gold is my heart, and the world's golden,


s: And I know, one night, on some far height,


s: They'll call the news from hill to hill,


s: Their little dull greasy eyes will water;


s: They'll sniffle and weep, and their thoughts will creep


s: And lay you straight, the fools that loved you


s: But through the night the lips will laugh not,


s: With snuffle and sniff and handkerchief,


s: With ham and sherry, they'll meet to bury


s: The little dead hearts will tramp ungrieving


s: And they were dead.  They did not know it.


s: Here, where love's stuff is body, arm and side


s: Are stabbing-sweet 'gainst chair and lamp and wall.


s: In every touch more intimate meanings hide;


s: And flaming brains are the white heart of all.


s: Here, million pulses to one centre beat:


s: Closed in by men's vast friendliness, alone,


s: Two can be drunk with solitude, and meet


s: On the sheer point where sense with knowing's one.


s: Here the green-purple clanging royal night,


s: And the straight lines and silent walls of town,


s: And roar, and glare, and dust, and myriad white


s: Intensest heavens between close-lying faces


s: By the lamp's airless fierce ecstatic fire;


s: And we've found love in little hidden places,


s: Under great shades, between the mist and mire.


s: Stay! though the woods are quiet, and you've heard


s: Where tangled foliage shrouds the crying bird,


s: And the remote winds sigh, and waters flow!


s: Or hearts grow hushed and solitary, beneath


s: Or boughs bend over, close and quiet as death, --


s: Cloud-like we lean and stare as bright leaves stare,


s: Our unwalled loves thin out on vacuous air,


s: And suddenly there's no meaning in our kiss,


s: And your lit upward face grows, where we lie,


s: Lonelier and dreadfuller than sunlight is,


s: That never were swift!  Still all I prize,


s: Laughter and thought and friends, I have;


s: For the woods and hills that I never knew.


s: The more excellent way's yet mine!  And you


s: Flower-laden come to the clean white cell,


s: And we talk as ever -- am I not the same?


s: Out under the sky, and laughing, I know,


s: Flit through the streets, your heart all me;


s: Till you gain the world beyond the town.


s: Then -- I fade from your heart, quietly;


s: And your fleet steps quicken.  The strong down


s: Smiles you welcome there; the woods that love you


s: Close lovely and conquering arms above you.


s: And still in the white neat bed I strive


s: To you alone with your hills and heaven.


s: To Priam's palace, sword in hand, to sate


s: And a king's honour.  Through red death, and smoke,


s: And cries, and then by quieter ways he strode,


s: Till the still innermost chamber fronted him.


s: He swung his sword, and crashed into the dim


s: High sat white Helen, lonely and serene.


s: He had not remembered that she was so fair,


s: And that her neck curved down in such a way;


s: And he felt tired.  He flung the sword away,


s: And kissed her feet, and knelt before her there,


s: The perfect Knight before the perfect Queen.


s: That journey home, the long connubial years?


s: He does not tell you how white Helen bears


s: Child on legitimate child, becomes a scold,


s: Waxed garrulous, and sacked a hundred Troys


s: 'Twixt noon and supper.  And her golden voice


s: Got shrill as he grew deafer.  And both were old.


s: Her dry shanks twitch at Paris' mumbled name.


s: How should I know?  The enormous wheels of will


s: Drove me cold-eyed on tired and sleepless feet.


s: Night was void arms and you a phantom still,


s: And day your far light swaying down the street.


s: As never fool for love, I starved for you;


s: My throat was dry and my eyes hot to see.


s: Your mouth so lying was most heaven in view,


s: Love wakens love!  I felt your hot wrist shiver


s: Flashed real, in your burning bending head. . . .


s: My conqueror's blood was cool as a deep river


s: In shadow; and my heart beneath your hand


s: When I see you, who were so wise and cool,


s: You've given your love to, your adoring hands


s: Touch his so intimately that each understands,


s: I know, most hidden things; and when I know


s: Your holiest dreams yield to the stupid bow


s: Of his red lips, and that the empty grace


s: Of those strong legs and arms, that rosy face,


s: Has beaten your heart to such a flame of love,


s: That you have given him every touch and move,


s: Wrinkle and secret of you, all your life,


s: -- Oh! then I know I'm waiting, lover-wife,


s: For the great time when love is at a close,


s: And all its fruit's to watch the thickening nose


s: And sweaty neck and dulling face and eye,


s: That are yours, and you, most surely, till you die!


s: Day after day you'll sit with him and note


s: The greasier tie, the dingy wrinkling coat;


s: As prettiness turns to pomp, and strength to fat,


s: When all that's fine in man is at an end,


s: And you, that loved young life and clean, must tend


s: A foul sick fumbling dribbling body and old,


s: When his rare lips hang flabby and can't hold


s: Slobber, and you're enduring that worst thing,


s: And searching those dear eyes for human meaning,


s: Propping the bald and helpless head, and cleaning


s: A scrap that life's flung by, and love's forgotten, --


s: Then you'll be tired; and passion dead and rotten;


s: And lightfoot, that the poor heart cries to see,


s: That's how I'll see your man and you! --


s: -- Oh, when THAT time comes, you'll be dirty too!


s: The straight grey buildings, richly dimmer,


s: Stretch terrible hands, uncomprehending,


s: And the shrill stars' unmeaning laughter,


s: In peace from the wild heart of clamour,


s: Pale flowers wreathed her white, white brows.


s: And "Hush!" she said, between the boughs.


s: And earth is shaken, and all evils creep


s: Out of the whirling blinding moil, alone,


s: In some cool room that's open to the night


s: Unrumpled sheet, and the ever-moving hair


s: Your magic and your beauty and your strength,


s: Like hills at noon or sunlight on a tree,


s: In the sweet gloom above the brown and white


s: Night benedictions hover; and the winds of night


s: Move gently round the room, and watch you there.


s: The trees and waters and the hills have kept


s: Where your feet, your morning feet, shall tread.


s: And still the darkness ebbs about your bed.


s: Quiet, and strange, and loving-kind, you sleep.


s: And the moon came down and danced to me,


s: "Oh! Love," they said, "is King of Kings,


s: "Oh! Love," they said, and "Love," they said,


s: And washed with rain and veiled by night,


s: And birds were hushed; and peace was growing;


s: Why you were you, and the night was kind,


s: And the woods were part of the heart of me.


s: Crashing and laughing and blindly going,


s: And at length your flat clear voice beside me


s: You came and quacked beside me in the wood.


s: You said, "The view from here is very good!"


s: You said, "It's nice to be alone a bit!"


s: And, "How the days are drawing out!" you said.


s: You said, "The sunset's pretty, isn't it?"


s: By God! I wish -- I wish that you were dead!


s: Proud in their careless transience moved


s: And lips and laughter stayed and deathless,


s: The peace that lay, the light that shone.


s: In a flowered dell the Lady Venus stood,


s: Amazed with sorrow.  Down the morning one


s: Far golden horn in the gold of trees and sun


s: Rang out; and held; and died. . . .  She thought the wood


s: Grew quieter.  Wing, and leaf, and pool of light


s: Clear out of time, poised on a golden height. . . .


s: Till a swift terror broke the abrupt hour.


s: The gold waves purled amidst the green above her;


s: And a bird sang.  With one sharp-taken breath,


s: The immortal limbs flashed to the human lover,


s: The damned ship lurched and slithered.  Quiet and quick


s: My cold gorge rose; the long sea rolled; I knew


s: I must think hard of something, or be sick;


s: And could think hard of only one thing -- YOU!


s: You, you alone could hold my fancy ever!


s: And with you memories come, sharp pain, and dole.


s: Now there's a choice -- heartache or tortured liver!


s: Do I forget you?  Retchings twist and tie me,


s: Old meat, good meals, brown gobbets, up I throw.


s: The sobs and slobber of a last years woe.


s: And still the sick ship rolls.  'Tis hard, I tell ye,


s: To choose 'twixt love and nausea, heart and belly.


s: All night the ways of Heaven were desolate,


s: Outcast and doomed and driven, you and I,


s: Terror or triumph, were content to wait,


s: Swept through the heaven low-crouching from on high,


s: One horseman, downward to the earth's low gate.


s: Oh, perfect from the ultimate height of living,


s: Lightly we turned, through wet woods blossom-hung,


s: Into the open.  Down the supernal roads,


s: With plumes a-tossing, purple flags far flung,


s: Thundered the black battalions of the Gods.


s: Through my heart's palace Thoughts unnumbered throng;


s: And there, most quiet and, as a child, most wise,


s: High-throned you sit, and gracious.  All day long


s: Great Hopes gold-armoured, jester Fantasies,


s: And pilgrim Dreams, and little beggar Sighs,


s: Worship and love and tend you, all the day.


s: But when I sleep, and all my thoughts go straying,


s: When the high session of the day is ended,


s: And darkness comes; then, with the waning light,


s: Proud from the wonted throne, superbly swaying,


s: You, like a queen, pass out into the night.


s: Only at length, dear, when the great day ends,


s: Here the flame that was ash, shrine that was void,


s: I have tended and loved, year upon year, I in the solitude


s: For I, I that had faith, knew that a face would glance


s: One day, white in the dim woods, and a voice call, and a radiance


s: Face of my dreams vainly in vision white


s: Gleaming down to me, lo! hopeless I rise now.  For about midnight


s: Long expected and long loved, that afar, God of the dim wood, you


s: So light we were, so right we were, so fair faith shone,


s: And the way was laid so certainly, that, when I'd gone,


s: Or a sudden cry, that meekly and without a word


s: You broke the faith, and strangely, weakly, slipped apart.


s: You gave in -- you, the proud of heart, unbowed of heart!


s: Was this, friend, the end of all that we could do?


s: And have you found the best for you, the rest for you?


s: Did you learn so suddenly (and I not by!)


s: Some whispered story, that stole the glory from the sky,


s: And ended all the splendid dream, and made you go


s: So dully from the fight we know, the light we know?


s: O faithless! the faith remains, and I must pass


s: Gay down the way, and on alone.  Under the grass


s: You wait; the breeze moves in the trees, and stirs, and calls,


s: And covers you with white petals, with light petals.


s: There it shall crumble, frail and fair, under the sun,


s: O little heart, your brittle heart; till day be done,


s: And the shadows gather, falling light, and, white with dew,


s: Whisper, and weep; and creep to you.  Good sleep to you!


s: Now, God be thanked Who has matched us with His hour,


s: And caught our youth, and wakened us from sleeping,


s: With hand made sure, clear eye, and sharpened power,


s: To turn, as swimmers into cleanness leaping,


s: Glad from a world grown old and cold and weary,


s: Leave the sick hearts that honour could not move,


s: And half-men, and their dirty songs and dreary,


s: Oh! we, who have known shame, we have found release there,


s: Where there's no ill, no grief, but sleep has mending,


s: Naught broken save this body, lost but breath;


s: Nothing to shake the laughing heart's long peace there


s: And the worst friend and enemy is but Death.


s: Dear! of all happy in the hour, most blest


s: Assured in the dark tides of the world that rest,


s: And heard our word, 'Who is so safe as we?'


s: We have found safety with all things undying,


s: The winds, and morning, tears of men and mirth,


s: The deep night, and birds singing, and clouds flying,


s: And sleep, and freedom, and the autumnal earth.


s: We have built a house that is not for Time's throwing.


s: We have gained a peace unshaken by pain for ever.


s: War knows no power.  Safe shall be my going,


s: Secretly armed against all death's endeavour;


s: Safe though all safety's lost; safe where men fall;


s: And if these poor limbs die, safest of all.


s: Blow out, you bugles, over the rich Dead!


s: There's none of these so lonely and poor of old,


s: But, dying, has made us rarer gifts than gold.


s: These laid the world away; poured out the red


s: Sweet wine of youth; gave up the years to be


s: Of work and joy, and that unhoped serene,


s: That men call age; and those who would have been,


s: Their sons, they gave, their immortality.


s: Blow, bugles, blow!  They brought us, for our dearth,


s: Holiness, lacked so long, and Love, and Pain.


s: Honour has come back, as a king, to earth,


s: And paid his subjects with a royal wage;


s: These hearts were woven of human joys and cares,


s: Washed marvellously with sorrow, swift to mirth.


s: The years had given them kindness.  Dawn was theirs,


s: And sunset, and the colours of the earth.


s: These had seen movement, and heard music; known


s: Slumber and waking; loved; gone proudly friended;


s: Felt the quick stir of wonder; sat alone;


s: Touched flowers and furs and cheeks.  All this is ended.


s: There are waters blown by changing winds to laughter


s: And lit by the rich skies, all day.  And after,


s: Frost, with a gesture, stays the waves that dance


s: And wandering loveliness.  He leaves a white


s: A width, a shining peace, under the night.


s: That there's some corner of a foreign field


s: That is for ever England.  There shall be


s: In that rich earth a richer dust concealed;


s: A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware,


s: Gave, once, her flowers to love, her ways to roam,


s: A body of England's, breathing English air,


s: Washed by the rivers, blest by suns of home.


s: And think, this heart, all evil shed away,


s: Gives somewhere back the thoughts by England given;


s: Her sights and sounds; dreams happy as her day;


s: And laughter, learnt of friends; and gentleness,


s: In hearts at peace, under an English heaven.


s: With dancing girls and sweet birds' cries


s: And that no-place which gave them birth, shall close


s: And count, and touch, and turn them o'er,


s: Has watched her children all the rich day through


s: Sits, quiet-handed, in the fading light,


s: How shall we wind these wreaths of ours,


s: Where there are neither heads nor flowers?


s: Oh, Heaven's Heaven! -- but we'll be missing


s: And there's an end, I think, of kissing,


s: When our mouths are one with Mouth. . . .


s: Were green leaves in a darkened chamber,


s: Your vast unconsciousness was thrown. . . .


s: Where love itself would faint and cease!


s: I have been so great a lover:  filled my days


s: So proudly with the splendour of Love's praise,


s: The pain, the calm, and the astonishment,


s: And all dear names men use, to cheat despair,


s: For the perplexed and viewless streams that bear


s: Our hearts at random down the dark of life.


s: Now, ere the unthinking silence on that strife


s: Steals down, I would cheat drowsy Death so far,


s: That outshone all the suns of all men's days.


s: Shall I not crown them with immortal praise


s: Whom I have loved, who have given me, dared with me


s: High secrets, and in darkness knelt to see


s: Love is a flame; -- we have beaconed the world's night.


s: A city: -- and we have built it, these and I.


s: An emperor: -- we have taught the world to die.


s: So, for their sakes I loved, ere I go hence,


s: And the high cause of Love's magnificence,


s: And to keep loyalties young, I'll write those names


s: And set them as a banner, that men may know,


s: Out on the wind of Time, shining and streaming. . . .


s: Ringed with blue lines; and feathery, faery dust;


s: Wet roofs, beneath the lamp-light; the strong crust


s: Of friendly bread; and many-tasting food;


s: Rainbows; and the blue bitter smoke of wood;


s: And radiant raindrops couching in cool flowers;


s: And flowers themselves, that sway through sunny hours,


s: Dreaming of moths that drink them under the moon;


s: Then, the cool kindliness of sheets, that soon


s: Smooth away trouble; and the rough male kiss


s: Of blankets; grainy wood; live hair that is


s: Shining and free; blue-massing clouds; the keen


s: The benison of hot water; furs to touch;


s: The good smell of old clothes; and other such --


s: The comfortable smell of friendly fingers,


s: Hair's fragrance, and the musty reek that lingers


s: About dead leaves and last year's ferns. . . .


s: And thousand other throng to me!  Royal flames;


s: Sweet water's dimpling laugh from tap or spring;


s: Holes in the ground; and voices that do sing;


s: Voices in laughter, too; and body's pain,


s: Soon turned to peace; and the deep-panting train;


s: Firm sands; the little dulling edge of foam


s: That browns and dwindles as the wave goes home;


s: And washen stones, gay for an hour; the cold


s: Graveness of iron; moist black earthen mould;


s: Sleep; and high places; footprints in the dew;


s: And oaks; and brown horse-chestnuts, glossy-new;


s: And new-peeled sticks; and shining pools on grass; --


s: All these have been my loves.  And these shall pass,


s: Nor all my passion, all my prayers, have power


s: To hold them with me through the gate of Death.


s: They'll play deserter, turn with the traitor breath,


s: Break the high bond we made, and sell Love's trust


s: ---- Oh, never a doubt but, somewhere, I shall wake,


s: And give what's left of love again, and make


s: Stays here, and changes, breaks, grows old, is blown


s: About the winds of the world, and fades from brains


s: O dear my loves, O faithless, once again


s: This one last gift I give:  that after men


s: Shall know, and later lovers, far-removed,


s: Praise you, "All these were lovely"; say, "He loved."


s: Fish say, they have their Stream and Pond;


s: And there (they trust) there swimmeth One


s: "Oh love is fair, and love is rare;" my dear one she said,


s: "But love goes lightly over."  I bowed her foolish head,


s: And kissed her hair and laughed at her.  Such a child was she;


s: So new to love, so true to love, and she spoke so bitterly.


s: But there's wisdom in women, of more than they have known,


s: And thoughts go blowing through them, are wiser than their own,


s: Or how should my dear one, being ignorant and young,


s: Have cried on love so bitterly, with so true a tongue?


s: I have peace to weigh your worth, now all is over,


s: But if to praise or blame you, cannot say.


s: For, who decries the loved, decries the lover;


s: Yet what man lauds the thing he's thrown away?


s: Be you, in truth, this dull, slight, cloudy naught,


s: The more fool I, so great a fool to adore;


s: But if you're that high goddess once I thought,


s: The more your godhead is, I lose the more.


s: Dear fool, pity the fool who thought you clever!


s: Dear wisdom, do not mock the fool that missed you!


s: Most fair, -- the blind has lost your face for ever!


s: Most foul, -- how could I see you while I kissed you?


s: So . . . the poor love of fools and blind I've proved you,


s: For, foul or lovely, 'twas a fool that loved you.


s: Somewhile before the dawn I rose, and stept


s: And found you sleeping in the quiet gloom,


s: I knelt there; till your waking fingers crept


s: Unhoped this side of Heaven, beneath your breast.


s: I knelt a long time, still; nor even wept.


s: It was great wrong you did me; and for gain


s: Of that poor moment's kindliness, and ease,


s: How easily love leaps out to dreams like these,


s: Who has seen them true.  And love that's wakened so


s: Its laughter with the dancing light o' the spray,


s: And sowed the sky with tiny clouds of love,


s: And sent you following the white waves of sea,


s: And crowned your head with fancies, nothing worth,


s: Stray buds from that old dust of misery,


s: Being glad with a new foolish quiet mirth.


s: So lightly I played with those dark memories,


s: Just as a child, beneath the summer skies,


s: Plays hour by hour with a strange shining stone,


s: For which (he knows not) towns were fire of old,


s: And love has been betrayed, and murder done,


s: And great kings turned to a little bitter mould.


s: Warm perfumes like a breath from vine and tree


s: Drift down the darkness.  Plangent, hidden from eyes


s: Somewhere an 'eukaleli' thrills and cries


s: And stabs with pain the night's brown savagery.


s: And dark scents whisper; and dim waves creep to me,


s: Gleam like a woman's hair, stretch out, and rise;


s: And new stars burn into the ancient skies,


s: And I recall, lose, grasp, forget again,


s: And still remember, a tale I have heard, or known,


s: Of two that loved -- or did not love -- and one


s: Whose perplexed heart did evil, foolishly,


s: A long while since, and by some other sea.


s: Oft silence falls; the incessant wranglers part;


s: And less-than-echoes of remembered tears


s: Hush all the loud confusion of the heart;


s: And a shade, through the toss'd ranks of mirth and crying


s: Hungers, and pains, and each dull passionate mood, --


s: Quite lost, and all but all forgot, undying,


s: Comes back the ecstasy of your quietude.


s: So a poor ghost, beside his misty streams,


s: Is haunted by strange doubts, evasive dreams,


s: Stars, rocks, and flesh, things unintelligible,


s: And light on waving grass, he knows not when,


s: And feet that ran, but where, he cannot tell.


s: Sonnet (Suggested by some of the Proceedings


s: Not with vain tears, when we're beyond the sun,


s: We'll beat on the substantial doors, nor tread


s: Those dusty high-roads of the aimless dead


s: Plaintive for Earth; but rather turn and run


s: Down some close-covered by-way of the air,


s: Some low sweet alley between wind and wind,


s: Stoop under faint gleams, thread the shadows, find


s: Some whispering ghost-forgotten nook, and there


s: Learn all we lacked before; hear, know, and say


s: And feel, who have laid our groping hands away;


s: Down the blue night the unending columns press


s: In noiseless tumult, break and wave and flow,


s: Now tread the far South, or lift rounds of snow


s: Up to the white moon's hidden loveliness.


s: Some pause in their grave wandering comradeless,


s: And turn with profound gesture vague and slow,


s: As who would pray good for the world, but know


s: They say that the Dead die not, but remain


s: Near to the rich heirs of their grief and mirth.


s: I think they ride the calm mid-heaven, as these,


s: And watch the moon, and the still-raging seas,


s: They say there's a high windless world and strange,


s: Out of the wash of days and temporal tide,


s: Where Faith and Good, Wisdom and Truth abide,


s: 'Aeterna corpora', subject to no change.


s: There the sure suns of these pale shadows move;


s: There stand the immortal ensigns of our war;


s: Our melting flesh fixed Beauty there, a star,