 | Poems |  |
13
INVOCATION.
Give up thy Dead, O Sea of Time!
Thy long-forgotten Dead!
The noble thoughts—the hopes sublime—
The dreams of glory fled.
Thy long-forgotten Dead!
The noble thoughts—the hopes sublime—
The dreams of glory fled.
Give back each high and holy Truth,
Once all on earth above—
Give back the beaming eye of Youth,
And the sweet lips of Love.
Once all on earth above—
Give back the beaming eye of Youth,
And the sweet lips of Love.
14
The tears, that once in sorrow stole
As soft as summer rain—
The smiles, whose sunshine o'er the soul
Shall never come again.
As soft as summer rain—
The smiles, whose sunshine o'er the soul
Shall never come again.
Oh God! what long-lost treasures
Could that abyss resign!
Pure thoughts, and innocent pleasures,
And gentle hopes are thine.
Could that abyss resign!
Pure thoughts, and innocent pleasures,
And gentle hopes are thine.
How, as they faded, one by one,
Like withered leaves that fall,
The quicksands of oblivion
Closed slowly o'er them all!
Like withered leaves that fall,
The quicksands of oblivion
Closed slowly o'er them all!
And thou hast much of mine—yet oh!
What is that little store,
Loved—lost—and once lamented so,
To all thou hadst before?
To all the mighty wrecks of old,
O'er which thy dull, dark waves have rolled?
What is that little store,
Loved—lost—and once lamented so,
To all thou hadst before?
To all the mighty wrecks of old,
O'er which thy dull, dark waves have rolled?
15
And wilt thou not, Insatiate Power!
Enriched with trophies vast,
Withhold thy claim one little hour,
Since all is thine at last?
Enriched with trophies vast,
Withhold thy claim one little hour,
Since all is thine at last?
All—all of nobleness and worth,
That mortal mould can vaunt—
All the fond witchery of earth
Can offer to enchant.
That mortal mould can vaunt—
All the fond witchery of earth
Can offer to enchant.
What vanished Ones of ancient might,
Thy mightier arms entwine!
What Forms of loveliness and light
Are now forever thine!
Thy mightier arms entwine!
What Forms of loveliness and light
Are now forever thine!
The charnel earth—the wandering air—
The wave—the restless fire—
Each element hath claimed its share
Of all that could expire.
Yet what are all their spoils to thee
And thine, oh dark and sullen sea!
The wave—the restless fire—
Each element hath claimed its share
Of all that could expire.
Yet what are all their spoils to thee
And thine, oh dark and sullen sea!
16
Thou sleepest—yet what storms have swept
Across that waveless flood!
What centuries on centuries leapt
In surges dyed with blood!
Across that waveless flood!
What centuries on centuries leapt
In surges dyed with blood!
A thousand victims lie concealed
Amid thy sunless caves—
A thousand wonders unrevealed
Have perished in thy waves.
Amid thy sunless caves—
A thousand wonders unrevealed
Have perished in thy waves.
And there the deep Historian's line
Hath many an age been cast—
In vain—to sound a depth like thine,
Unfathomable Past!
Hath many an age been cast—
In vain—to sound a depth like thine,
Unfathomable Past!
A flood, whose tide forever goes
O'er hill, and mound, and plain—
All slow and sullenly it flows,
But never ebbs again.
O'er hill, and mound, and plain—
All slow and sullenly it flows,
But never ebbs again.
17
Oh, silent, ever wandering stream!
Borne onward thus by thee,
Like some lone mariner I seem
Upon a shoreless sea.
Borne onward thus by thee,
Like some lone mariner I seem
Upon a shoreless sea.
And floating o'er thy gulf illumed
By dim tradition's ray,
On scenes—on ages long entombed
Look down a little way.
By dim tradition's ray,
On scenes—on ages long entombed
Look down a little way.
Like one who sails Italian seas,
When setting suns reveal
Old towers, and buried palaces,
Far underneath his keel.
When setting suns reveal
Old towers, and buried palaces,
Far underneath his keel.
There lie the glorious gems of old,
Lost in thy waters wide,
Whose gleam we faintly yet behold
Far down amid thy tide.
Lost in thy waters wide,
Whose gleam we faintly yet behold
Far down amid thy tide.
18
And darker, deeper yet below,
Methinks, all dimly seen,
A thousand fearful Shapes of Woe
And Horror couch between.
Methinks, all dimly seen,
A thousand fearful Shapes of Woe
And Horror couch between.
The Deeds, whose memory wakens
Stern thoughts of Nemesis;
And Crimes, that lurk like krakens
Within thy dark abyss.
Stern thoughts of Nemesis;
And Crimes, that lurk like krakens
Within thy dark abyss.
'Tis like that scene with terrors rife,
When earth and ocean held
The first chaotic throes of life—
The hideous forms of Eld.
When earth and ocean held
The first chaotic throes of life—
The hideous forms of Eld.
The monsters of old time, whose bones
Yet whiten o'er the plain—
The brood, whose giant skeletons
Are all that now remain—
Yet whiten o'er the plain—
The brood, whose giant skeletons
Are all that now remain—
19
Behemoth and Leviathan,
That roved this world of old—
Such are the Thoughts and Deeds of Man,
Which thy dark realms enfold.
That roved this world of old—
Such are the Thoughts and Deeds of Man,
Which thy dark realms enfold.
Oh! when the word is spoken
That Time shall be no more—
When the last wave hath broken
On thine eternal shore—
That Time shall be no more—
When the last wave hath broken
On thine eternal shore—
When, fleeting as a vapor,
The heavens shall pass away,
And like a dying taper
The worn-out sun decay—
The heavens shall pass away,
And like a dying taper
The worn-out sun decay—
When the moon shall fade in her place on high,
And all the Starry Host
Like sparks shall fly through a stormy sky—
And the Earth give up the ghost!
And all the Starry Host
Like sparks shall fly through a stormy sky—
And the Earth give up the ghost!
20
Amid that Universal Death
Shalt thou, poor soul, survive?
When worlds have yielded up their breath,
Canst thou remain alive?
Shalt thou, poor soul, survive?
When worlds have yielded up their breath,
Canst thou remain alive?
Thou canst—thou shalt—though stars are dim—
Though suns have quenched their fire—
The immortal flame once lit by Him
Shall never more expire.
Though suns have quenched their fire—
The immortal flame once lit by Him
Shall never more expire.
And these dark waters, tempest tost,
Shall yield their treasures then,
And all which thou hast loved and lost
Shall be restored again.
Shall yield their treasures then,
And all which thou hast loved and lost
Shall be restored again.
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