Conversations introducing poetry chiefly on subjects of natural history. For the use of children and young persons. By Charlotte Smith |
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| 6. | CONVERSATION THE SIXTH. |
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 | Conversations introducing poetry |  |
CONVERSATION THE SIXTH.
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SONNET TO THE INSECT OF THE GOSSAMER.
Small, viewless aeronaut, that by the lineOf Gossamer suspended, in mid air
Float'st on a sun-beam—Living atom, where
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In æther dost thou launch thy form minute,
Mocking the eye? Alas! before the veil
Of denser clouds shall hide thee, the pursuit
Of the keen Swift may end thy fairy sail!
Thus on the golden thread that Fancy weaves
Buoyant, as Hope's illusive flattery breathes,
The young and visionary Poet leaves
Life's dull realities, while sevenfold wreaths
Of rainbow light around his head revolve.
Ah! soon at Sorrow's touch the radiant dreams dissolve.
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THE NAUTILUS.
Where southern suns and winds prevail,
And undulate the Summer seas;
The Nautilus expands his sail,
And scuds before the fresh'ning breeze.
And undulate the Summer seas;
The Nautilus expands his sail,
And scuds before the fresh'ning breeze.
Oft is a little squadron seen
Of mimic ships all rigg'd complete;
Fancy might think the fairy queen
Was sailing with her elfin fleet.
Of mimic ships all rigg'd complete;
Fancy might think the fairy queen
Was sailing with her elfin fleet.
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With how much beauty is design'd
Each channell'd bark of purest white!
With orient pearl each cabin lined,
Varying with every change of light.
Each channell'd bark of purest white!
With orient pearl each cabin lined,
Varying with every change of light.
While with his little slender oars,
His silken sail, and tapering mast,
The dauntless mariner explores
The dangers of the watery waste.
His silken sail, and tapering mast,
The dauntless mariner explores
The dangers of the watery waste.
Prepared, should tempests rend the sky,
From harm his fragile bark to keep,
He furls his sail, his oar lays by,
And seeks his safety in the deep,
From harm his fragile bark to keep,
He furls his sail, his oar lays by,
And seeks his safety in the deep,
Then safe on ocean's shelly bed,
He hears the storm above him roar;
Mid groves of coral glowing red,
Or rocks o'erhung with madrepore.
He hears the storm above him roar;
Mid groves of coral glowing red,
Or rocks o'erhung with madrepore.
So let us catch life's favouring gale,
But if fate's adverse winds be rude,
Take calmly in th'adventurous sail,
And find repose in Solitude.
But if fate's adverse winds be rude,
Take calmly in th'adventurous sail,
And find repose in Solitude.
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THE WHEAT-EAR.
From that deep shelter'd solitude,
Where in some quarry wild and rude,
Your feather'd mother reared her brood,
Why, pilgrim, did you brave
The upland winds so bleak and keen,
To seek these hills?—whose slopes between
Wide stretch'd in grey expanse is seen,
The Ocean's toiling wave?
Where in some quarry wild and rude,
Your feather'd mother reared her brood,
Why, pilgrim, did you brave
The upland winds so bleak and keen,
To seek these hills?—whose slopes between
Wide stretch'd in grey expanse is seen,
The Ocean's toiling wave?
Did instinct bid you linger here,
That broad and restless Ocean near,
And wait, till with the waning year
Those northern gales arise,
Which, from the tall cliff's rugged side
Shall give your soft light plumes to glide,
Across the channel's refluent tide,
To seek more favoring skies?
That broad and restless Ocean near,
And wait, till with the waning year
Those northern gales arise,
Which, from the tall cliff's rugged side
Shall give your soft light plumes to glide,
Across the channel's refluent tide,
To seek more favoring skies?
Alas! and has not instinct said
That luxury's toils for you are laid,
And that by groundless fears betray'd
You ne'er perhaps may know
Those regions, where the embowering vine
Loves round the luscious fig to twine,
And mild the Suns of Winter shine,
And flowers perennial blow
That luxury's toils for you are laid,
And that by groundless fears betray'd
You ne'er perhaps may know
Those regions, where the embowering vine
Loves round the luscious fig to twine,
And mild the Suns of Winter shine,
And flowers perennial blow
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To take you, shepherd boys prepare
The hollow turf, the wiry snare,
Of those weak terrors well aware,
That bid you vainly dread
The shadows floating o'er the downs,
Or murmuring gale, that round the stones
Of some old beacon, as it moans,
Scarce moves the thistle's head.
The hollow turf, the wiry snare,
Of those weak terrors well aware,
That bid you vainly dread
The shadows floating o'er the downs,
Or murmuring gale, that round the stones
Of some old beacon, as it moans,
Scarce moves the thistle's head.
And if a cloud obscure the Sun
With faint and fluttering heart you run,
And to the pitfall you should shun
Resort in trembling haste;
While, on that dewy cloud so high,
The lark, sweet minstrel of the sky,
Sings in the morning's beamy eye,
And bathes his spotted breast.
With faint and fluttering heart you run,
And to the pitfall you should shun
Resort in trembling haste;
While, on that dewy cloud so high,
The lark, sweet minstrel of the sky,
Sings in the morning's beamy eye,
And bathes his spotted breast.
Ah! simple bird, resembling you
Are those, that with distorted view
Thro' life some selfish end pursue,
With low inglorious aim;
They sink in blank oblivious night,
While minds superior dare the light,
And high on honor's glorious height
Aspire to endless fame!
Are those, that with distorted view
Thro' life some selfish end pursue,
With low inglorious aim;
They sink in blank oblivious night,
While minds superior dare the light,
And high on honor's glorious height
Aspire to endless fame!
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AN EVENING WALK BY THE SEA SIDE.
'Tis pleasant to wander along on the sand,
Beneath the high cliff that is hallowed in caves;
When the fisher has put off his boat from the land,
And the prawn-catcher wades thro' the short rippling waves.
Beneath the high cliff that is hallowed in caves;
When the fisher has put off his boat from the land,
And the prawn-catcher wades thro' the short rippling waves.
While fast run before us the sandling and plover,
Intent on the crabs and the sand-eels to feed,
And here on a rock which the tide will soon cover,
We'll find us a seat that is tapestried with weed.
Intent on the crabs and the sand-eels to feed,
And here on a rock which the tide will soon cover,
We'll find us a seat that is tapestried with weed.
Bright gleam the white sails in the slant rays of even,
And stud as with silver the broad level main,
While glowing clouds float on the fair face of Heaven,
And the mirror-like water reflects them again.
And stud as with silver the broad level main,
While glowing clouds float on the fair face of Heaven,
And the mirror-like water reflects them again.
How various the shades of marine vegetation,
Thrown here the rough flints and the pebbles among,
The feather'd conferva of deepest carnation,
The dark purple slake and the olive sea thong.
Thrown here the rough flints and the pebbles among,
The feather'd conferva of deepest carnation,
The dark purple slake and the olive sea thong.
While Flora herself unreluctantly mingles
Her garlands with those that the Nereids have worn,
For the yellow horned poppy springs up on the shingles,
And convolvulas rival the rays of the morn.
Her garlands with those that the Nereids have worn,
For the yellow horned poppy springs up on the shingles,
And convolvulas rival the rays of the morn.
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But now to retire from the rock we have warning,
Already the water encircles our seat,
And slowly the tide of the evening returning,
The moon beams reflects in the waves at our feet.
Already the water encircles our seat,
And slowly the tide of the evening returning,
The moon beams reflects in the waves at our feet.
Ah! whether as now the mild Summer sea flowing,
Scarce wrinkles the sands as it murmurs on shore,
Or fierce wintry whirlwinds impetuously blowing
Bid high maddening surges resistlessly roar;
Scarce wrinkles the sands as it murmurs on shore,
Or fierce wintry whirlwinds impetuously blowing
Bid high maddening surges resistlessly roar;
That Power, which can put the wide waters in motion,
Then bid the vast billows repose at His word;
Fills the mind with deep reverence, while Earth, Air, and Ocean,
Alike of the universe speak him the Lord.
Then bid the vast billows repose at His word;
Fills the mind with deep reverence, while Earth, Air, and Ocean,
Alike of the universe speak him the Lord.
| Conversations introducing poetry | |