 | Lays and Legends of Ancient Greece, with Other Poems |  |
326
TO A CAGED EAGLE.
(Suggested by a Visit to the Zoological Gardens.)
Bird of the far-commanding eye
And wide-spread wing, who will not sigh
Thee cooped and chained to see?
To me my life's my liberty,—
Should it be else to thee?
Ah, no! thy now sunk, sullen eye
Gives silent, eloquent reply,
“He killed who cabined me.”
The pleasure of some lady light,
Or peeping microscopic wight,
Is harshest hell to thee.
And wide-spread wing, who will not sigh
Thee cooped and chained to see?
To me my life's my liberty,—
Should it be else to thee?
Ah, no! thy now sunk, sullen eye
Gives silent, eloquent reply,
“He killed who cabined me.”
The pleasure of some lady light,
Or peeping microscopic wight,
Is harshest hell to thee.
Him I denounce who did prepare
Thy bonds: what title he may bear
I reck not; he did sin.
If from his stock more than thy share
Thy noble theft did win,
He had the right, by force or snare,
Where thou wert found, to fell thee there;
But so to bar thee in,
To rob the wingful of his wing,
To chain thee here, the mountain king,
I say, it was a SIN!
Thy bonds: what title he may bear
I reck not; he did sin.
329
Thy noble theft did win,
He had the right, by force or snare,
Where thou wert found, to fell thee there;
But so to bar thee in,
To rob the wingful of his wing,
To chain thee here, the mountain king,
I say, it was a SIN!
A monkey in a cage may spring,
A sparrow hop, a linnet sing,
But can an eagle fly?
Or, were more space, with his proud wing
He would disdain to try.
Think'st thou that God made such a thing
For scientific torturing,
Or food of idle eye?
O barren bliss to look upon
The cabineted skeleton
Of fallen majesty!
A sparrow hop, a linnet sing,
But can an eagle fly?
Or, were more space, with his proud wing
He would disdain to try.
Think'st thou that God made such a thing
For scientific torturing,
Or food of idle eye?
O barren bliss to look upon
The cabineted skeleton
Of fallen majesty!
Trust thou the instinct of thy heart;
Thy wit sees but the smallest part,
When deepest it may pry.
Let knowledge be thy daily mart,
Keep aye an open eye;
But still with holy shrinking start
From the strange wisdom of an art
That teaches life to die.
For this nor reason ask nor give,
All living things have right to live,
All flying things to fly.
Thy wit sees but the smallest part,
When deepest it may pry.
330
Keep aye an open eye;
But still with holy shrinking start
From the strange wisdom of an art
That teaches life to die.
For this nor reason ask nor give,
All living things have right to live,
All flying things to fly.
| Lays and Legends of Ancient Greece, with Other Poems | |