 | American poems, selected and original |  |
AN ELEGY,
Written in February 1791.
By Mr. Richard Alsop.
Dark is the hour and lone, o'er icy plains
The wandering meteors gleam a deadly light;
Wild howls the blast amid descending rains,
And forms funereal flit along the night.
The wandering meteors gleam a deadly light;
Wild howls the blast amid descending rains,
And forms funereal flit along the night.
Retir'd from scenes where Pleasure's airy wand
Gilds the light moments with delusive joy,
Where Mirth exulting leads her festive band,
Far other scenes my pensive soul employ.
Gilds the light moments with delusive joy,
Where Mirth exulting leads her festive band,
Far other scenes my pensive soul employ.
The clouds of death that gloom the baleful year,
The days of joy, alas, so lately fled!
While Friendship bids its sympathetic tear
Stream in remembrance of the much-lov'd dead.
The days of joy, alas, so lately fled!
While Friendship bids its sympathetic tear
Stream in remembrance of the much-lov'd dead.
My friend, but now, of every bliss possest
That love connubial can on man bestow,
When mutual wishes warm the mutual breast;
Behold the prey of life-consuming woe.
That love connubial can on man bestow,
When mutual wishes warm the mutual breast;
Behold the prey of life-consuming woe.
Of late, how fair the beauteous prospect show'd,
How lovely glittering in the morning's eye;
But long ere noon, like April's painted cloud,
Or hues that tinge the summer's evening sky,
How lovely glittering in the morning's eye;
But long ere noon, like April's painted cloud,
Or hues that tinge the summer's evening sky,
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The fairy hopes that raptur'd Fancy drew,
The dream of future bliss that shone so bright,
On Fate's swift pinions vanish'd from the view,
And sunk in shadows of eternal night.—
The dream of future bliss that shone so bright,
On Fate's swift pinions vanish'd from the view,
And sunk in shadows of eternal night.—
What notes of woe in mournful cadence swell
Along the Western breeze from climes afar,
Mix'd with the dying groan, the savage yell,
And all the horrid dissonance of war!
Along the Western breeze from climes afar,
Mix'd with the dying groan, the savage yell,
And all the horrid dissonance of war!
And lo! mid gliding spectres dimly seen,
Pale as the mists that Autumn's car surround,
A form superior lifts his pensive mien,
While on his bosom glares the shadowy wound.
Pale as the mists that Autumn's car surround,
A form superior lifts his pensive mien,
While on his bosom glares the shadowy wound.
“Behold,” he cries, “the band who lately bled,
“Mid western wilds in glorious conflict slain;
“While recreant troops in pale confusion fled,
“Ignobly left unburied on the plain.”—
“Mid western wilds in glorious conflict slain;
“While recreant troops in pale confusion fled,
“Ignobly left unburied on the plain.”—
Far opes the view, sublime in savage pride
A wild unbounded frowns on Fancy's eye;
Tall rise the trees, and o'er savannahs wide
The rank grass trembles to the breeze on high.
A wild unbounded frowns on Fancy's eye;
Tall rise the trees, and o'er savannahs wide
The rank grass trembles to the breeze on high.
With torrent sweep, amid a night of woods
Where scarce the sun a livid glimmering lends,
A blood-stain'd river rolls his foaming floods,
And o'er the plains in wild meanders bends.
Where scarce the sun a livid glimmering lends,
A blood-stain'd river rolls his foaming floods,
And o'er the plains in wild meanders bends.
Lo! this the scene where War, with bloody hand,
Wav'd his red standard o'er the carnag'd ground;
Where wild-eyed Horror led the tawny band,
And fell the brave with dear-bought laurels crown'd.
Wav'd his red standard o'er the carnag'd ground;
Where wild-eyed Horror led the tawny band,
And fell the brave with dear-bought laurels crown'd.
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Here, grim with gore, beneath the inclement sky,
Smote by the parching ray and driving rain,
The mangled forms of breathless warriors lie,
All pale extended on the lonely plain.
Smote by the parching ray and driving rain,
The mangled forms of breathless warriors lie,
All pale extended on the lonely plain.
In slaughter'd heaps, around promiscuous cast,
Mid savage chiefs Columbia's sons are spread,
While, breath'd from polar snows, the northern blast
Shakes its cold pinions o'er the unburied dead.
Mid savage chiefs Columbia's sons are spread,
While, breath'd from polar snows, the northern blast
Shakes its cold pinions o'er the unburied dead.
For them no more shall morning gild the sky,
No more shall May unveil her radiant charms,
No more shall Joy illume the sparkling eye,
Or Glory's voice excite the soul to arms.
No more shall May unveil her radiant charms,
No more shall Joy illume the sparkling eye,
Or Glory's voice excite the soul to arms.
Near yon grey rock by withering leaves conceal'd,
Amyntor lies, benevolent and brave;
Whose duteous hand a father's age upheld,
And smooth'd his dreary passage to the grave.
Amyntor lies, benevolent and brave;
Whose duteous hand a father's age upheld,
And smooth'd his dreary passage to the grave.
Not far, a corse distinguish'd o'er the rest,
Of noble stature and heroic mien;
Deep opes the wound that gor'd his manly breast,
And his pale features wear a smile serene.
Of noble stature and heroic mien;
Deep opes the wound that gor'd his manly breast,
And his pale features wear a smile serene.
Too well alas! that much-lov'd form I know,
Those features pale with gory dust o'erspread,
O'er whom has Friendship mourn'd in bitterest woe,
For whom Affection's tenderest tears are shed.
Those features pale with gory dust o'erspread,
O'er whom has Friendship mourn'd in bitterest woe,
For whom Affection's tenderest tears are shed.
Still, still in Fancy's view recurs the day
When war's black demons pour'd their hideous yell,
When left expos'd to savage rage a prey,
Thy gallant band beside their leader fell.
When war's black demons pour'd their hideous yell,
When left expos'd to savage rage a prey,
Thy gallant band beside their leader fell.
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Opprest with toil, while countless foes surround,
Thy arm, thy voice, the fainting troop inspir'd;
And e'en when sinking with the deadly wound,
Thy latest breath their martial ardor fir'd.
Thy arm, thy voice, the fainting troop inspir'd;
And e'en when sinking with the deadly wound,
Thy latest breath their martial ardor fir'd.
Lamented Hero, far from weeping friends!
No funeral honours to thy corse were paid,
And no memorial o'er thy grave extends
To mark the lonely spot where low thou'rt laid.
No funeral honours to thy corse were paid,
And no memorial o'er thy grave extends
To mark the lonely spot where low thou'rt laid.
Yet what avails to please the senseless clay,
“The trophied tomb,” the monumental bust,
Or recks the spirit mid the realms of day,
The empty rites attendant on its dust.
“The trophied tomb,” the monumental bust,
Or recks the spirit mid the realms of day,
The empty rites attendant on its dust.
A fairer wreath shall friendship's hand bestow,
A fairer tribute shall thy shade receive,
Than all the idle pageantry of woe,
Than all its pompous monuments can give.
A fairer tribute shall thy shade receive,
Than all the idle pageantry of woe,
Than all its pompous monuments can give.
Long, long shall Memory's ardent eye recall
Thy worth, thy milder virtues to her view;
Thy Country long lament her hero's fall,
And o'er thee Fame her brightest laurels strew.
Thy worth, thy milder virtues to her view;
Thy Country long lament her hero's fall,
And o'er thee Fame her brightest laurels strew.
O'er the lone spot where rests thy mouldering form,
Shall opening spring her mildest breezes wave;
And Flora's hand with every fragrant charm
Deck the soft turf that forms thy verdant grove.
Shall opening spring her mildest breezes wave;
And Flora's hand with every fragrant charm
Deck the soft turf that forms thy verdant grove.
There the Wild-Rose in earliest pride shall bloom,
There the Magnolia's gorgeous flowers unfold,
The purple Violet shed its sweet perfume,
And beauteous Meadia wave her plumes of gold.
There the Magnolia's gorgeous flowers unfold,
The purple Violet shed its sweet perfume,
And beauteous Meadia wave her plumes of gold.
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Rest much-lov'd Chief with thy Jer—a blest,
Amid yon realms of light, yon seats of joy,
Where hush'd is sorrow in perpetual rest,
And pleasure smiles unconscious of alloy.
Amid yon realms of light, yon seats of joy,
Where hush'd is sorrow in perpetual rest,
And pleasure smiles unconscious of alloy.
From that calm shore with pitying eye survey
The varying schemes of man, the busy strife,
The vain pursuits that fill his “little day,”
And toss with ceaseless storms the sea of life.
The varying schemes of man, the busy strife,
The vain pursuits that fill his “little day,”
And toss with ceaseless storms the sea of life.
While seraphs, bending from their thrones of gold,
With songs of triumph hymn thy soul to peace;
And to thy raptur'd eye, with smiles, unfold
The happy mansions of eternal bliss.
With songs of triumph hymn thy soul to peace;
And to thy raptur'd eye, with smiles, unfold
The happy mansions of eternal bliss.
| American poems, selected and original | |