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The Poetical Works of James Thomson

The City of Dreadful Night: By James Thomson ("B. V."): Edited by Bertram Dobell: With a Memoir of the Author: In two volumes
Thomson, James (1834-1882)

collapse sectionI. 
VOL. I
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MEMOIR
  
TO JOSEPH AND ALICE BARNES.
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VANE'S STORY
  
Prologue.
  
The Story.
  
Epilogue.
  
WEDDAH AND OM-EL-BONAIN
  
TWO LOVERS
  
TO OUR LADIES OF DEATH
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THE CITY OF DREADFUL NIGHT
  
Proem.
 I. 
I.
 II. 
II.
 III. 
III.
 IV. 
IV.
 V. 
V.
 VI. 
VI.
 VII. 
VII.
 VIII. 
VIII.
 IX. 
IX.
 X. 
X.
 XI. 
XI.
 XII. 
XII.
 XIII. 
XIII.
 XIV. 
XIV.
 XV. 
XV.
 XVI. 
XVI.
 XVII. 
XVII.
 XVIII. 
XVIII.
 XIX. 
XIX.
 XX. 
XX.
 XXI. 
XXI.
  
IN THE ROOM
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SUNDAY UP THE RIVER
 I. 
I.
 II. 
II.
 III. 
III.
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IV.
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V.
 VI. 
VI.
 VII. 
VII.
 VIII. 
VIII.
 IX. 
IX.
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X.
 XI. 
XI.
 XII. 
XII.
 XIII. 
XIII.
 XIV. 
XIV.
 XV. 
XV.
 XVI. 
XVI.
 XVII. 
XVII.
 XVIII. 
XVIII.
 XIX. 
XIX.
 XX. 
XX.
  
SUNDAY AT HAMPSTEAD
  
THE NAKED GODDESS
  
THE THREE THAT SHALL BE ONE
  
ART
  
PHILOSOPHY
  
LIFE'S HEBE
  
A POLISH INSURGENT
  
L'ANCIEN RÉGIME;
  
E. B. B.
  
POLYCRATES ON WATERLOO BRIDGE
  
SHAMELESS
  
THE FIRE THAT FILLED MY HEART OF OLD
  
TWO SONNETS
  
A SONG OF SIGHING
  
DAY
  
NIGHT
  
VIRTUE AND VICE
  
LOW LIFE
  
PROLOGUE TO THE PILGRIMAGE TO SAINT NICOTINE OF THE HOLY HERB
  
VERSICLES
  
L'ENVOY
  
Sunday LILAH, ALICE, HYPATIA, 14/2/69.
  
CREEDS AND MEN
  
VERSIFICATION OF THOMAS COOPER'S ARGUMENT
  
MR. MACCALL AT CLEVELAND HALL
  
BILL JONES ON PRAYER
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EPIGRAMS
  
IPHIGENIA À LA MODE
  
LOVE'S LOGIC
  
A TIMELY PRAYER
  
WHO KILLED MOSES?
  
SUGGESTED FROM SOUTHAMPTON
  
POOR INDEED!
  
IN EXITU ISRAEL
  
THE SUCCESSORS WHO DO NOT SUCCEED
  
BLESS THEE! THOU ART TRANSLATED
  
CROSS LINES FROM GOETHE
  
WE CROAK
  
IN A CHRISTIAN CHURCHYARD
  
OUR CONGRATULATIONS ON THE RECOVERY OF HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS
  
PATHETIC EPITAPH
  
SONG
  
WILLIAM BLAKE
  
SUPPLEMENT TO THE INFERNO
  
DON GIOVANNI AT COVENT GARDEN
  
AQUATICS (KEW)
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VOL. II
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LAST POEMS
  
A VOICE FROM THE NILE
  
RICHARD FOREST'S MID-SUMMER NIGHT
  
INSOMNIA
  
HE HEARD HER SING
  
TO H. A. B.
  
PROEM
  
THE POET AND HIS MUSE
  
THE SLEEPER
  
MODERN PENELOPE
  
AT BELVOIR
  
A STRANGER
  
LAW v. GOSPEL
  
THE OLD STORY AND THE NEW STOREY
  
DESPOTISM TEMPERED BY DYNAMITE
  
ADDRESS ON THE OPENING OF THE NEW HALL OF THE LEICESTER SECULAR SOCIETY, March 6, 1881.
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EARLY POEMS
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THE DOOM OF A CITY
collapse sectionI. 
Part I. THE VOYAGE.
 I. 
I.
 II. 
II.
 III. 
III.
 IV. 
IV.
 V. 
V.
 VI. 
VI.
 VII. 
VII.
 VIII. 
VIII.
 IX. 
IX.
 X. 
X.
 XI. 
XI.
 XII. 
XII.
 XIII. 
XIII.
 XIV. 
XIV.
 XV. 
XV.
 XVI. 
XVI.
 II. 
Part II. THE CITY.
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Part III. THE JUDGMENTS.
 I. 
I.
 II. 
II.
 III. 
III.
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IV.
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V.
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VI.
 VII. 
VII.
 VIII. 
VIII.
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IX.
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X.
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XI.
 XII. 
XII.
 XIII. 
XIII.
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XIV.
 XV. 
XV.
 XVI. 
XVI.
 XVII. 
XVII.
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Part IV. THE RETURN.
 I. 
I.
 II. 
II.
 III. 
III.
 IV. 
IV.
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RONALD AND HELEN
 I. 
Part I.
 II. 
Part II.
 III. 
Part III.
 IV. 
Part IV.
  
SHELLEY
  
THE DEAD YEAR
  
THE DELIVERER
  
A FESTIVAL OF LIFE
  
TASSO TO LEONORA
  
A HAPPY POET
  
THE LORD OF THE CASTLE OF INDOLENCE
  
BERTRAM TO THE MOST NOBLE AND BEAUTIFUL LADY GERALDINE
  
AN OLD DREAM
  
THE FADELESS BOWER
  
SUGGESTED BY MATTHEW ARNOLD'S “STANZAS FROM THE GRANDE CHARTREUSE.”
  
FOUR POINTS IN A LIFE
  
MATER TENEBRARUM
  
A REAL VISION OF SIN
  
ARCH ARCHERY
  
THE DREAMER
  
ROBERT BURNS
  
THE PURPLE FLOWER OF THE HEATHER
  
A WINTER'S NIGHT
  
SIREN'S SONG
  
GARIBALDI REVISITING ENGLAND
  
WITHERED LEAVES
  
THE CYPRESS AND THE ROSES
  
MEETING AGAIN
  
“ALLACE! THAT SAMYN SWEIT FACE!”
  
A REQUIEM
  
THE JOLLY VETERANS
  
A CAPSTAN CHORUS
  
TO A PIANISTE
  
A RECUSANT
  
A SERGEANT'S MESS SONG
  
SONNET
  
A CHANT
  
ON GEORGE HERBERT'S POEMS
  
ON A BROKEN PIPE
  
A PROEM

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III.

And while I gazed upon the sleeping City,
And pondered its unnumbered destinies,
A flood of awe and fear and love and pity
Swelled in my heart and overflowed my eyes
With unexpected tears.
The burden of the message I had brought
From that great City far across the sea
Lay heavy on my soul; as if for years
And years I had been wandering wearily
In travail with it: now the time was spent;
Now, as a cloud with fire and thunder fraught,
I must give birth with throes of agony,
And perish in the bearing. So I leant
Back in the boat, all desolate and distraught,
Pangs shuddering through the faintness of cold fears:
Death passed his hand across my brow; but went
To lay its plenary pressure on some heart
That throbbed true life—“for this poor pulse,” thought he,
“Is not worth quelling”—I watched him depart
Bearing all peace with him; when suddenly
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That Spirit which will never be withstood
Came down and shook and seized and lifted me,—
As men uplift a passive instrument
Through which to breathe whatever fits their mood,
Stately triumphal march or war-note dread,
Anthem, gay dance, or requiem for the dead;
And through my lips with irrepressible might
Poured forth its own stern language on the night.
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