Andtheyputoutthestar-lightWiththebreathfromtheirpalefaces。
Abouttwelvebythemoon-dialOne,morefilmythantherestAkindwhich,upontrial,Theyhavefoundtobethebest
Comesdown-stilldown-anddownWithitscentreonthecrownOfamountain’seminence,WhileitswidecircumferenceIneasydraperyfallsOverhamlets,overhalls,Wherevertheymaybe-
O’erthestrangewoods-o’erthesea-
Overspiritsonthewing-
Overeverydrowsything-
AndburiesthemupquiteInalabyrinthoflight-
Andthen,howdeep!-O,deep!
Isthepassionoftheirsleep。
Inthemorningtheyarise,AndtheirmoonycoveringIssoaringintheskies,Withthetempestsastheytoss,Likealmostanything-
OrayellowAlbatross。
TheyusethatmoonnomoreForthesameendasbefore-
Videlicetatent-
WhichIthinkextravagant:
Itsatomies,however,Intoashowerdissever,Ofwhichthosebutterflies,OfEarth,whoseektheskies,AndsocomedownagainNever-contentedthings!
HavebroughtaspecimenUpontheirquiveringwings。
INspringofyouthitwasmylotTohauntofthewideearthaspotThewhichIcouldnotlovetheless
SolovelywasthelonelinessOfawildlake,withblackrockbound,Andthetallpinesthattower’daround。
ButwhentheNighthadthrownherpallUponthatspot,asuponall,AndthemysticwindwentbyMurmuringinmelody
ThenahthenIwouldawakeTotheterrorofthelonelake。
Yetthatterrorwasnotfright,Butatremulousdelight
AfeelingnotthejewelledmineCouldteachorbribemetodefine
NorLovealthoughtheLovewerethine。
Deathwasinthatpoisonouswave,AndinitsgulfafittinggraveForhimwhothencecouldsolacebringTohisloneimagining
WhosesolitarysoulcouldmakeAnEdenofthatdimlake。
1
’TWASnoontideofsummer,Andmidtimeofnight,Andstars,intheirorbits,Shonepale,throughthelightOfthebrighter,coldmoon。
’Midplanetsherslaves,HerselfintheHeavens,Herbeamonthewaves。
IgazedawhileOnhercoldsmile;
Toocold-toocoldforme
Therepassed,asashroud,Afleecycloud,AndIturnedawaytothee,ProudEveningStar,InthygloryafarAnddearerthybeamshallbe;
ForjoytomyheartIstheproudpartThoubearestinHeavenatnight。,AndmoreIadmireThydistantfire,Thanthatcolder,lowlylight。
THEhappiestday-thehappiesthourMysearedandblightedhearthathknown,Thehighesthopeofprideandpower,Ifeelhathflown。
Ofpower!saidI?Yes!suchIweenButtheyhavevanishedlong,alas!
ThevisionsofmyyouthhavebeenButletthempass。
Andpride,whathaveInowwiththee?
Anotherbrowmayev’ninheritThevenomthouhastpouredonmeBestillmyspirit!
Thehappiestday-thehappiesthourMineeyesshallsee-haveeverseenThebrightestglanceofprideandpowerIfeethavebeen:
ButwerethathopeofprideandpowerNowofferedwiththepainEv’n_thenI_felt-thatbrightesthourIwouldnotliveagain:
ForonitswingwasdarkalloyAndasitfluttered-fellAnessence-powerfultodestroyAsoulthatknewitwell。
Adarkunfathom’dtideOfinterminablepride-
Amystery,andadream,Shouldmyearlylifeseem;
IsaythatdreamwasfraughtWithawild,andwakingthoughtOfbeingsthathavebeen,Whichmyspirithathnotseen,HadIletthempassmeby,Withadreamingeye!
LetnoneofearthinheritThatvisiononmyspirit;
ThosethoughtsIwouldcontrolAsaspelluponhissoul:
ForthatbrighthopeatlastAndthatlighttimehavepast,AndmyworldlyresthathgoneWithasighasitpass’donIcarenottho’itperishWithathoughtIthendidcherish。
WREATHEDinmyrtle,myswordI’llconcealLikethosechampionsdevotedandbrave,Whentheyplungedinthetyranttheirsteel,AndtoAthensdeliverancegave。
Belovedheroes!yourdeathlesssoulsroamInthejoybreathingislesoftheblest;
WherethemightyofoldhavetheirhomeWhereAchillesandDiomedrestIII
InfreshmyrtlemybladeI’llentwine,LikeHarmodius,thegallantandgood,WhenhemadeatthetutelarshrineAlibationofTyranny’sblood。V
YedeliverersofAthensfromshame!
YeavengersofLiberty’swrongs!
Endlessagesshallcherishyourfame,Embalmedintheirechoingsongs!
Oh!thatmyyounglifewerealastingdream!
Myspiritnotawak’ning,tillthebeamOfanEternityshouldbringthemorrow:
Yes!tho’thatlongdreamwereofhopelesssorrow,’TwerebetterthanthedullrealityOfwakinglifetohimwhoseheartshallbe,Andhathbeenever,onthechillyearth,Achaosofdeeppassionfromhisbirth!
Butshoulditbe-thatdreameternallyContinuing-asdreamshavebeentomeInmyyoungboyhood-shoulditthusbegiven,’TwerefollystilltohopeforhigherHeaven!
ForIhaverevell’d,whenthesunwasbrightInthesummersky;indreamyfieldsoflight,AndleftunheedinglymyveryheartInclimesofmineimagining-apartFrommineownhome,withbeingsthathavebeenOfmineownthought-whatmorecouldIhaveseen?
’Twasonce&_only_once&thewildhourFrommyrememberanceshallnotpass-somepowerOrspellhadboundme-’twasthechillywindCameo’ermeinthenight&leftbehindItsimageonmyspirit,orthemoonShoneonmyslumbersinherloftynoonToocoldly-orthestars-howe’eritwasThatdreamwasasthatnightwind-letitpass。
Ihavebeenhappy-tho’butinadreamIhavebeenhappy-&Ilovethetheme-
Dreams!intheirvividcolouringoflife-
Asinthatfleeting,shadowy,mistystrifeOfsemblancewithrealitywhichbringsTothedeliriouseyemorelovelythingsOfParadise&Love-&allourown!
ThanyoungHopeinhissunniesthourhathknown。
{FromanearlierMS。Thaninthebook-ED。}
_Howoftenweforgetalltime,whenloneAdmiringNature’suniversalthrone;
Herwoodsherwildshermountains-theintenseReplyofHerstoOurintelligence!_
INyouthIhaveknownonewithwhomtheEarthInsecretcommuningheld-ashewithit,Indaylight,andinbeauty,fromhisbirth:
Whosefervid,flickeringtorchoflifewaslitFromthesunandstars,whencehehaddrawnforthApassionatelightsuchforhisspiritwasfitAndyetthatspiritknew-notinthehourOfitsownfervor-whathado’eritpower。
II
PerhapsitmaybethatmymindiswroughtToafever*bythemoonbeamthathangso’er,ButIwillhalfbelievethatwildlightfraughtWithmoreofsovereigntythanancientloreHathevertold-orisitofathoughtTheunembodiedessence,andnomoreThatwithaquickeningspelldotho’eruspassAsdewofthenight-time,o’erthesummergrass?
Dotho’eruspass,when,asth’expandingeyeTothelovedobject-sotheteartothelidWillstart,whichlatelysleptinapathy?
Andyetitneednotbe-thatobjecthidFromusinlife-butcommon-whichdothlieEachhourbeforeusbutthenonlybidWithastrangesound,asofaharp-stringbrokenT’awakeus’TisasymbolandatokenIV
OfwhatinotherworldsshallbeandgivenInbeautybyourGod,tothosealoneWhootherwisewouldfallfromlifeandHeavenDrawnbytheirheart’spassion,andthattone,ThathightoneofthespiritwhichhathstrivenThoughnotwithFaith-withgodlinesswhosethroneWithdesperateenergy’thathbeatendown;
Wearingitsowndeepfeelingasacrown。
Howshalltheburialriteberead?
Thesolemnsongbesung?
Therequiemfortheloveliestdead,Thateverdiedsoyoung?
Herfriendsaregazingonher,Andonhergaudybier,Andweep!-oh!todishonorDeadbeautywithatear!
Theylovedherforherwealth-
Andtheyhatedherforherpride-
Butshegrewinfeeblehealth,Andthey_love_her-thatshedied。
TheytellmewhiletheyspeakOfher“costlybroider’dpall“
Thatmyvoiceisgrowingweak-
ThatIshouldnotsingatall-
OrthatmytoneshouldbeTun’dtosuchsolemnsongSomournfully-somournfully,Thatthedeadmayfeelnowrong。
Butsheisgoneabove,WithyoungHopeatherside,AndIamdrunkwithloveOfthedead,whoismybride-
Ofthedead-deadwholiesAllperfum’dthere,Withthedeathuponhereyes,Andthelifeuponherhair。
ThusonthecoffinloudandlongIstrike-themurmursentThroughthegreychamberstomysong,Shallbetheaccompaniment。
Thoudied’stinthylife’sJune-
Butthoudid’stnotdietoofair:
Thoudid’stnotdietoosoon,Norwithtoocalmanair。
Frommorethanfiendsonearth,Thylifeandloveareriven,TojointheuntaintedmirthOfmorethanthronesinheaven-
Therefore,totheethisnightIwillnorequiemraise,Butwafttheeonthyflight,WithaP鎍nofolddays。
Onthe“PoemswritteninYouth“littlecommentisneeded。Thissectionincludesthepiecesprintedforfirstvolumeof1827whichwassubsequentlysuppressed,suchpoemsfromthefirstandsecondpublishedvolumesof1829and1831ashavenotalreadybeengivenintheirrevisedversions,andafewotherscollectedfromvarioussources。“AlAaraaf“
firstappeared,withthesonnet“ToSilence“prefixedtoit,in1829,andis,substantially,asoriginallyissued。Intheeditionfor1831,however,thispoem,itsauthor’slongest,wasintroducedbythefollowingtwenty-ninelines,whichhavebeenomittedin-allsubsequentcollections:
ALAARAAF
Mysteriousstar!
ThouwertmydreamAllalongsummernight
Benowmytheme!
Bythisclearstream,OftheewillIwrite;
MeantimefromafarBathemeinlightI
Thyworldhasnotthedrossofours,Yetallthebeauty-alltheflowersThatlistourloveordeckourbowersIndreamygardens,wheredolieDreamymaidensalltheday;
WhilethesilverwindsofCircassyOnvioletcouchesfaintaway。
Little-ohIlittledwellsinthee11
Likeuntowhatonearthwesee:
Beauty’seyeisherethebluestInthefalsestanduntruestOnthesweetestairdothfloatThemostsadandsolemnnote
Ifwiththeebebrokenhearts,Joysopeacefullydeparts,Thatitsechostilldothdwell,Likethemurmurintheshell。
Thou!thytruesttypeofgriefIsthegentlyfallingleafThou!
ThyframingissoholySorrowisnotmelancholy。
31。Theearliestversionof“Tamerlane“wasincludedinthesuppressedvolumeof1827,butdiffersveryconsiderablyfromthepoemasnowpublished。Thepresentdraft,besidesinnumerableverbalalterationsandimprovementsupontheoriginal,ismorecarefullypunctuated,and,thelinesbeingindented,presentsamorepleasingappearance,totheeyeatleast。
32。“ToHelen“firstappearedinthe1831volume,asdidalso“TheValleyofUnrest“as“TheValleyNis“,“Israfel。”andoneortwoothersoftheyouthfulpieces。Thepoemstyled“Romance。”constitutedthePrefaceofthe1829volume,butwiththeadditionofthefollowinglines:
Succeedingyears,toowildforsong,Thenrolledliketropicstormsalong,Where,throughthegarishlightsthatflyDyingalongthetroubledsky,Laybare,throughvistasthunder-riven,TheblacknessofthegeneralHeaven,ThatveryblacknessyetdothRingLightonthelightning’ssilverwing。
Forbeinganidleboylangsyne;
WhoreadAnacreonanddrankwine,IearlyfoundAnacreonrhymesWerealmostpassionatesometimes