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THE YOUTH OF THE WORLD.
The dew upon the leaves is wet;
We have not travelled far as yet;
The blossom
Of youth on the world's brows is set.
We have not travelled far as yet;
The blossom
Of youth on the world's brows is set.
Some think the world is worn and old:
Nay! all the world's hair gleams with gold,—
Her bosom
Soft-white doth soft-white flowers enfold.
Nay! all the world's hair gleams with gold,—
Her bosom
Soft-white doth soft-white flowers enfold.
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Full many a long untrodden way
She'll traverse ere her locks be grey,
Now gilded
With splendour at the dawn of day.
She'll traverse ere her locks be grey,
Now gilded
With splendour at the dawn of day.
We have but seen her girlish hours
Armful and lapful of wild flowers;
Unbuilded
Are the great future's towns and towers!
Armful and lapful of wild flowers;
Unbuilded
Are the great future's towns and towers!
New might of love we dream not yet
Upon her forehead shall be set,
And glory
Our longing eyes have never met.
Upon her forehead shall be set,
And glory
Our longing eyes have never met.
The world is like a girl with zone
Slender, slim neck, and timid tone,—
The story
Of love is all a tale unknown.
Slender, slim neck, and timid tone,—
The story
Of love is all a tale unknown.
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Or, if she loves, she knows not how
With all her might of being to bow;
Most lightly
She binds love's fillet round her brow.
With all her might of being to bow;
Most lightly
She binds love's fillet round her brow.
Yet there shall come the close sweet kiss,
And depth and height of certain bliss,
And, nightly,
Love's rose, and greed to gather this.
And depth and height of certain bliss,
And, nightly,
Love's rose, and greed to gather this.
Not yet the immeasurable embrace
Makes fervent heaven of all her face
And splendour
Is added to her girlish grace;—
Makes fervent heaven of all her face
And splendour
Is added to her girlish grace;—
Not yet she laughs with near dear eyes
Into her lover's,—nor replies
With tender
Low words wherethrough love's shudder flies.
Into her lover's,—nor replies
With tender
Low words wherethrough love's shudder flies.
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And so the glad world's bridal day
Yet tarries,—far upon the way,—
She dallies
With love, while love's fierce wheels delay:
Yet tarries,—far upon the way,—
She dallies
With love, while love's fierce wheels delay:
But when from heaven her bridegroom leaps,
Plunging adown the gold-splashed steeps,
Or sallies
From the sea's loud storm-sundered deeps,
Plunging adown the gold-splashed steeps,
Or sallies
From the sea's loud storm-sundered deeps,
She shall, mature of heart and strong,
Chant gravely her grand marriage-song
That waiteth
Silent the far blue hills among.
Chant gravely her grand marriage-song
That waiteth
Silent the far blue hills among.
We shall not see:—we watch afar
Like lovers whom sad fate doth mar
And hateth,—
For whom doth rise not passion's star.
Like lovers whom sad fate doth mar
And hateth,—
For whom doth rise not passion's star.
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As some lorn lover hath to yield
His maiden, unto whom he kneeled,
And know her
White prize of other sword and shield—
His maiden, unto whom he kneeled,
And know her
White prize of other sword and shield—
As on the marriage-night he dreams
Dreams terrible, when the moon gleams,
Full-flower,
And through the open window streams—
Dreams terrible, when the moon gleams,
Full-flower,
And through the open window streams—
So we with sorrow yield our world
In far embraces to be furled,
As slowly
We one by one to doom are hurled.
In far embraces to be furled,
As slowly
We one by one to doom are hurled.
Her majesty of lip and limb
Is not for us: it waits for him,
The holy
Bard hidden within the ages dim.
Is not for us: it waits for him,
The holy
Bard hidden within the ages dim.
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One kiss we've had,—a maiden kiss;
But ah! the strong-armed bridegroom's bliss,
When eager
She holds him,—what was ours to this!
But ah! the strong-armed bridegroom's bliss,
When eager
She holds him,—what was ours to this!
Our rapture in the youth of things,
Though round us many a young throat sings,
Is meagre
To the great joy the future brings:
Though round us many a young throat sings,
Is meagre
To the great joy the future brings:
Meagre as faint embrace of girl,
Whose thin lips hardly clasp or curl,
To maddening
Dim deep soft passionate rapture-whirl
Whose thin lips hardly clasp or curl,
To maddening
Dim deep soft passionate rapture-whirl
When fierce love, sure, mature, and strong,
Changes all being to wild song,
Swift-gladdening
The flooded veins it leaps along.
Changes all being to wild song,
Swift-gladdening
The flooded veins it leaps along.
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The world's great soul waits virgin yet:
The globes of dew are round and wet
And pearly
On daisy, pink, and mignonette;
The globes of dew are round and wet
And pearly
On daisy, pink, and mignonette;
With virgin girlish eyes cast down
She stands, in white unfigured gown,—
'Tis early,—
We shall not see her wear her crown.
She stands, in white unfigured gown,—
'Tis early,—
We shall not see her wear her crown.
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