 | A New Year's Eve, and Other Poems |  |
91
STANZAS
ON A PORTRAIT BY A. E. CHALON, R. A.
“True yoke-fellow of Time,
With unabating effort, see, the palm
Is won, and by all nations shall be worn.”
Wordsworth's Sonnet to Clarkson.
With unabating effort, see, the palm
Is won, and by all nations shall be worn.”
Wordsworth's Sonnet to Clarkson.
Painting! too oft thy magic power,
With prostituted aim,
Has given some idol of an hour
Thy own enduring fame.
With prostituted aim,
Has given some idol of an hour
Thy own enduring fame.
Yet, by such trophies of thy skill,
The heart remains unmoved;
They wake no glow, they prompt no thrill,
By Virtue's voice approved.
The heart remains unmoved;
They wake no glow, they prompt no thrill,
By Virtue's voice approved.
92
The eye may on the portrait gaze,
The tongue its charms may own;
And yet the painter's meed of praise
Be given to him alone.
The tongue its charms may own;
And yet the painter's meed of praise
Be given to him alone.
The warmer homage of the heart
To thee our spirits give,
When subjects worthy of thy art
Upon the canvass live.
To thee our spirits give,
When subjects worthy of thy art
Upon the canvass live.
When there with gratitude we trace
His features, who has stood
The champion of an injured race,
Amongst the great and good:
His features, who has stood
The champion of an injured race,
Amongst the great and good:
One who, in Freedom's noble cause,
Has braved the oppressor's ire,
And pleaded Truth's and Virtue's laws
With zeal that could not tire.
Has braved the oppressor's ire,
And pleaded Truth's and Virtue's laws
With zeal that could not tire.
93
Oh! then thy triumph we confess,
Thy potent spell revere,
Which thus from dull forgetfulness
Can rescue forms most dear!
Thy potent spell revere,
Which thus from dull forgetfulness
Can rescue forms most dear!
Giving the casket of the soul,
While yet that gem is there,
To live on Fame's immortal scroll,
In colours bright and fair;
While yet that gem is there,
To live on Fame's immortal scroll,
In colours bright and fair;
Whose impress in far distant days
Shall waken thoughts sublime,
Due when Philanthropy displays
Her “yoke-fellow of Time!”
Shall waken thoughts sublime,
Due when Philanthropy displays
Her “yoke-fellow of Time!”
| A New Year's Eve, and Other Poems | |