The Flood of Thessaly The Girl of Provence, and Other Poems. By Barry Cornwall [i.e. Bryan Waller Procter] |
 |
|
| 1. |
| 2. |
|
| I. |
| II. |
| III. |
| IV. |
| V. |
| VI. |
| VII. |
| VIII. |
|
|
 | The Flood of Thessaly |  |
At last, she look'd—and lo! the East grew pale
With morning, and then flushing (like some bride
Whose ear expects yet fears each distant tread
To seek her chamber when the feast is done)
Threw out its fiery colours, and became
Crimson and burning red. Apollo's steeds,
Which wait his coming at the eastern gate,
Harness'd were there, and champed their chrystal bits,
And threw their flaming foam upon the air.
Then first, in all its radiant beauty shone
The Rainbow, shadowy arch, of every hue
Of light inwove, in Heaven's immortal loom;
Gay, rich, illustrious colours mingled there,
And shone and were involved each within each,
Atoms of loveliest light, orange and blue,
Yellow and glowing red and soothing green;
Lying across the sky, but vanishing
As the clear day came on, the arch was seen.
Over Parnassus far the vision hung;
And thither, borne along by tide or swell
Glided the raft, until a sound like waves
Breaking on some rough strand alarmed the air.
Then Pyrrha trembled, and Deucalion knew
Peril was near, and from his face the smile
Faded, and lowering care his eyes o'erspread.
No word he uttered, but with straining arms
Toiled,—but in vain: the loud and hurrying stream
Forced them along, till thro' the whitening waves
The horrid rocks peered up as black as death;
And the hoarse pebbles rattled on the strand
A stormy welcome; and the winds blew loud;
And the sea rose and sank, and round the raft
Curled with a hungry noise, 'till one huge wave
Dashed them along the shore.—
With morning, and then flushing (like some bride
Whose ear expects yet fears each distant tread
To seek her chamber when the feast is done)
Threw out its fiery colours, and became
Crimson and burning red. Apollo's steeds,
Which wait his coming at the eastern gate,
Harness'd were there, and champed their chrystal bits,
And threw their flaming foam upon the air.
Then first, in all its radiant beauty shone
The Rainbow, shadowy arch, of every hue
Of light inwove, in Heaven's immortal loom;
Gay, rich, illustrious colours mingled there,
And shone and were involved each within each,
Atoms of loveliest light, orange and blue,
Yellow and glowing red and soothing green;
Lying across the sky, but vanishing
As the clear day came on, the arch was seen.
Over Parnassus far the vision hung;
56
Glided the raft, until a sound like waves
Breaking on some rough strand alarmed the air.
Then Pyrrha trembled, and Deucalion knew
Peril was near, and from his face the smile
Faded, and lowering care his eyes o'erspread.
No word he uttered, but with straining arms
Toiled,—but in vain: the loud and hurrying stream
Forced them along, till thro' the whitening waves
The horrid rocks peered up as black as death;
And the hoarse pebbles rattled on the strand
A stormy welcome; and the winds blew loud;
And the sea rose and sank, and round the raft
Curled with a hungry noise, 'till one huge wave
Dashed them along the shore.—
| The Flood of Thessaly | |