Tasso and the Sisters Tasso's Spirit: The Nuptials of Juno: The Skeletons: The Spirits of the Ocean. Poems, By Thomas Wade |
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 | Tasso and the Sisters |  |
On the sea-shore the Maiden stood
And look'd upon the boundless flood,
Which, far as her bright eyes could trace,
Roll'd foaming, with majestic grace,
Deep—deep, around,
As if no bound
Were near to stop its glorious pace.
'Twas now the hour that Reumon vow'd
Should see his Love forsake the strand
Where war and tumult rang aloud,
To seek a fair and quiet land.
That hour had past:—her cheek grew pale
And strength and hope began to fail,—
For Reumon came not, and afar
The ceaseless din she heard of war,
Which nearer and yet nearer drew,
Until the warriors met her view—
Cloth'd all in strongly-tempered steel,
With plume to helm and spur to heel.
They mark'd her well, and paus'd awhile,
Delighted with a form so fair,
And then began to fawn and smile
And told her of her beauty rare:
She trembled—and ne'er yet did bird
Whose music in the air is heard,
When close pursued by hungry hawk,
So long for refuge safe and nigh,
Wherein his ravenous ire to balk
And right secure in covert lie,—
As Laura for her Reumon brave
To bear her o'er the bounding wave,
Far from the warriors fiercely stern
That round her murmur'd all in glee,
As pleas'd the terror to discern
Of Maid so passing fair as she,—
And every moment nearer came
To question of her home and name,
Looking, as they around her rang'd
And each with each fierce looks exchang'd,
Like fiends, whose very touch can blight,
Surrounding some fair form of light.
And look'd upon the boundless flood,
Which, far as her bright eyes could trace,
Roll'd foaming, with majestic grace,
Deep—deep, around,
As if no bound
Were near to stop its glorious pace.
'Twas now the hour that Reumon vow'd
Should see his Love forsake the strand
Where war and tumult rang aloud,
To seek a fair and quiet land.
That hour had past:—her cheek grew pale
And strength and hope began to fail,—
98
The ceaseless din she heard of war,
Which nearer and yet nearer drew,
Until the warriors met her view—
Cloth'd all in strongly-tempered steel,
With plume to helm and spur to heel.
They mark'd her well, and paus'd awhile,
Delighted with a form so fair,
And then began to fawn and smile
And told her of her beauty rare:
She trembled—and ne'er yet did bird
Whose music in the air is heard,
When close pursued by hungry hawk,
So long for refuge safe and nigh,
Wherein his ravenous ire to balk
And right secure in covert lie,—
As Laura for her Reumon brave
To bear her o'er the bounding wave,
Far from the warriors fiercely stern
That round her murmur'd all in glee,
As pleas'd the terror to discern
Of Maid so passing fair as she,—
And every moment nearer came
To question of her home and name,
Looking, as they around her rang'd
And each with each fierce looks exchang'd,
Like fiends, whose very touch can blight,
Surrounding some fair form of light.
| Tasso and the Sisters | |