 | Poems |  |
47
ODE TO EVENING.
Yon dim red splendour o'er the wavy flood,
Of mingling hues, proclaims the god of day
His bright, effulgent race
In majesty has run.
Of mingling hues, proclaims the god of day
His bright, effulgent race
In majesty has run.
Lo! varied dies in sheeny beauty glow,
And blend in one harmonious symphony,—
For viewless angels strike
Their golden wires to laud
And blend in one harmonious symphony,—
For viewless angels strike
Their golden wires to laud
The God of nature, from their radiant thrones
In every orb, that in the concave hangs;
And all the glowing blaze
Is but a ray of heavenly fire.
In every orb, that in the concave hangs;
And all the glowing blaze
Is but a ray of heavenly fire.
But dim gleams glory o'er the melting pride
Of solar pageantry, and night resumes
Her dusky car, and sways
In Cynthia's silver glow.
Of solar pageantry, and night resumes
Her dusky car, and sways
In Cynthia's silver glow.
How pensive-sweet, chaste eve, beneath the gleam
Of constellations pendant on the sky,
To muse on this lone cliff,
Dark frowning o'er the wave
Of constellations pendant on the sky,
To muse on this lone cliff,
Dark frowning o'er the wave
Of yon glassed crystal lake, where lunar rays
To fancy's frenzied eye enamel forms
We loved, ere wo had wrought
Affection into hate.
To fancy's frenzied eye enamel forms
We loved, ere wo had wrought
Affection into hate.
48
Silence, with downy footstep, treads her fane,
Save where the owlet tunes his dreary note
Resounding through the dells,
And distant mountain caves;
Save where the owlet tunes his dreary note
Resounding through the dells,
And distant mountain caves;
Or gloomy bat, that flits on leathern wing,
Or beetle, rushing on the reign of night
From darkling, moss-strewn cells,
Enjoy their destined hour.
Or beetle, rushing on the reign of night
From darkling, moss-strewn cells,
Enjoy their destined hour.
The lucent field of pure and waveless lymph,
Pencilled with beauty's soft and blushing tints,
Reflects the solitary's mien,
Where pleasure reigned of yore.
Pencilled with beauty's soft and blushing tints,
Reflects the solitary's mien,
Where pleasure reigned of yore.
So, raptured friendship, heaven's saturnian boon,
Responds the ardent energies of souls,
By chords of virtue joined
For earth—for time—for bliss.
Responds the ardent energies of souls,
By chords of virtue joined
For earth—for time—for bliss.
I love thee, night, raised on thine ebon car,
But beauty lingers round thy hallowed queen,
And, from the woodland hill,
Fans the sweet, noiseless vale;
But beauty lingers round thy hallowed queen,
And, from the woodland hill,
Fans the sweet, noiseless vale;
And round the hamlet, veiled with myrtle groves,
Rustles with Zephyr, when on dewy wings,
He perfumed Flora woos,
And leads the hours with pride.
Rustles with Zephyr, when on dewy wings,
He perfumed Flora woos,
And leads the hours with pride.
49
Love reigns unrivalled in yon noiseless dale,
And mingles heaven with earth's illusive charm
Unknown to envy, hate,
Fell ruin, and his train.
And mingles heaven with earth's illusive charm
Unknown to envy, hate,
Fell ruin, and his train.
Sleep on yon rural, weary eyelids dwells,
Like the wild cygnet on its breast of down,—
No phantom yields the joys,
That flow from nature's breast.
Like the wild cygnet on its breast of down,—
No phantom yields the joys,
That flow from nature's breast.
O soothing, Eve, are thy sequestered scenes,
Where placid peace, and thrilling love unite,
And smiles unearthly blend
With being's seraph gaze.
Where placid peace, and thrilling love unite,
And smiles unearthly blend
With being's seraph gaze.
While spring with lilies scents thy blushing robe,
While summer spreads the wide green-bosomed lawn,
While golden autumn smiles,
And iron winter reigns;
While summer spreads the wide green-bosomed lawn,
While golden autumn smiles,
And iron winter reigns;
So long, chaste Eve, will I admire thy sway,
And chant thy pæan to the balmy breeze,
And breathe the tale of love
To man—to human kind.
And chant thy pæan to the balmy breeze,
And breathe the tale of love
To man—to human kind.
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