 | Specimens of American poetry |  |
A DREAM OF THE OCEAN.
A mermaid uprose in a golden dream,
And cried, “come, follow me”—
We glided away, on a swift moon-beam
To the brighest cave of the sea.
And cried, “come, follow me”—
We glided away, on a swift moon-beam
To the brighest cave of the sea.
'T was the festal hall of the waves, and there
Bright gems were cluster'd round;
And glowing shells in the liquid air
Made melody of sound.
Bright gems were cluster'd round;
And glowing shells in the liquid air
Made melody of sound.
I danced with the spirits o'er diamond sands
And quaff'd of happiness;
And wore a robe which their fairy hands
Had twined of light and bliss.
And quaff'd of happiness;
320
Had twined of light and bliss.
I linger'd in ecstacy 'mid the grove
Of corals glancing bright,
And heard the pure song of the Mermaid's love
For a star in fields of light.
Of corals glancing bright,
And heard the pure song of the Mermaid's love
For a star in fields of light.
The water-sprites gather'd around to hear
The song that seem'd to wail
With the harmony soft, of the shell-tones clear,
And the surface-sighing gale.
The song that seem'd to wail
With the harmony soft, of the shell-tones clear,
And the surface-sighing gale.
“Oh! come” sung the mermaid, “thou beauteous star,
Come o'er the distant sea;
The bright moon has vanish'd and sail'd afar,
And thou may'st come to me.
Come o'er the distant sea;
The bright moon has vanish'd and sail'd afar,
And thou may'st come to me.
Oh! I have watch'd on the cold, cold rock,
And rode the ocean foam,
And laugh'd at the lightning and thunder-shock
As they crush'd my sparry home;
And rode the ocean foam,
And laugh'd at the lightning and thunder-shock
As they crush'd my sparry home;
And have wish'd I could catch on the lightning-lance
And guide it back to thee,
For the moon-beam wearies and falls askance
Far e'er it gains thy sea.
And guide it back to thee,
For the moon-beam wearies and falls askance
Far e'er it gains thy sea.
I built me a grotto of tinted shells
All glean'd from ocean's shores,
And sat there uttering fondest spells
'Mid howling tempest's roars;
All glean'd from ocean's shores,
And sat there uttering fondest spells
'Mid howling tempest's roars;
And I hoped thou would'st come—but I hope not now
For coldly thou didst smile,
And I gather'd some nightshade to bind my brow,
And my heart was sad the while.
For coldly thou didst smile,
And I gather'd some nightshade to bind my brow,
And my heart was sad the while.
Yet I love, pretty star, on the rock to sing
And twine in wreaths thy gleam”—
The moon sank down, the dark spread his wing,
And I woke from this lovely dream.
And twine in wreaths thy gleam”—
The moon sank down, the dark spread his wing,
And I woke from this lovely dream.
| Specimens of American poetry | |