 | Poems |  |
121
CHAUCER.
O sunny-hearted Chaucer! thou
The old bard with the youthful brow,—
Thy country sadly needs thee now!
The old bard with the youthful brow,—
Thy country sadly needs thee now!
Of a long thousand years the half
Have journey'd by on pilgrim staff
Since last she heard thy merry laugh.
Have journey'd by on pilgrim staff
Since last she heard thy merry laugh.
Few pleasant bards like thee had they,
Those pilgrim years, to keep them gay
And journey with them on their way.
Those pilgrim years, to keep them gay
And journey with them on their way.
We miss thy unaffected speech,
Thy ringing laugh, thy tales that reach
With readiest road the heart of each.
Thy ringing laugh, thy tales that reach
With readiest road the heart of each.
But most we miss thy generous tone,
That said to each “Possess thy own,
But be content with it alone.”
That said to each “Possess thy own,
But be content with it alone.”
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That said to youth “Enjoy thy prime,
And taste the gladness of the time;
—Sour looks and sadness are a crime.”
And taste the gladness of the time;
—Sour looks and sadness are a crime.”
But now—the sentimental tale,
The puling song, the hymn for sale,
And borrowed form and phrase prevail.
The puling song, the hymn for sale,
And borrowed form and phrase prevail.
For girls our modern poet writes,
For teapot squires, and carpet knights,
And dolls, and drawing-room delights.
For teapot squires, and carpet knights,
And dolls, and drawing-room delights.
He simpers, but he cannot laugh;
His talk you understand but half;
He views far off the vile riff-raff.
His talk you understand but half;
He views far off the vile riff-raff.
—O human-hearted Chaucer! thou
The old bard with the youthful brow,—
Thy England sadly needs thee now!
The old bard with the youthful brow,—
Thy England sadly needs thee now!
As with the motley pilgrim show
Thou unaffectedly didst go
One April morning long ago,
Thou unaffectedly didst go
One April morning long ago,
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So with the common English throng
Abode, a cherished guest, thy song,
And journeyed with their lives along.
Abode, a cherished guest, thy song,
And journeyed with their lives along.
Methinks I see thee at the age
Thou made that famous pilgrimage:—
A little past Life's middle stage;
Thou made that famous pilgrimage:—
A little past Life's middle stage;
A shapely form, and firm of joint,
Portly withal and in good point;
A face with cheerfulness anoint;
Portly withal and in good point;
A face with cheerfulness anoint;
Whose eyes at sixty through the haze,
Which sad experience still doth raise,
Shine clear as in thy early days;
Which sad experience still doth raise,
Shine clear as in thy early days;
Atop whose beard of flaxen glow
Two pleasant lips smile evermo',
Like sunbeams where white roses blow.
Two pleasant lips smile evermo',
Like sunbeams where white roses blow.
But vain, alas! the filial care
To limn thine image on the air
Unless thy spirit, too, be there
To limn thine image on the air
Unless thy spirit, too, be there
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If, happy spirit! to thine ear
The human language still is dear
Which from thy lips came erst so clear,
The human language still is dear
Which from thy lips came erst so clear,
To some one in these days impart
The gentle secret of thy art
Which takes unstorm'd the stubborn heart.
The gentle secret of thy art
Which takes unstorm'd the stubborn heart.
Give him the freshness of the spring
To clothe with leaves the stoniest thing
And in the thorniest hedge to sing;
To clothe with leaves the stoniest thing
And in the thorniest hedge to sing;
To sympathise with the young breast,—
With all that causes it unrest,
And all that makes it purely blest.
With all that causes it unrest,
And all that makes it purely blest.
And give him of thy gladsome mood
To seek, and see, and sing of good
With a becoming hardihood;
To seek, and see, and sing of good
With a becoming hardihood;
—For there is none so reprobate,
So lost to self, so cursed of fate,
As wholly to deserve our hate;—
So lost to self, so cursed of fate,
As wholly to deserve our hate;—
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Of happiness to see no dearth,
But far more matter for our mirth
Than for our grief, broadcast o'er earth.
But far more matter for our mirth
Than for our grief, broadcast o'er earth.
Give him thy kindliness of soul
To see a beauty in the whole
Whose parts to narrow views are foul;
To see a beauty in the whole
Whose parts to narrow views are foul;
—Thy kindliness and courage both:
To shed on shams the light of truth,
But not to butcher without ruth.
To shed on shams the light of truth,
But not to butcher without ruth.
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