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FAITH AND FANCY.
Once, the Muse was most punctilious
On poetic etiquette—
‘Vulgar’ scenes and phrases never
Could her jealous wrath forget:
On poetic etiquette—
‘Vulgar’ scenes and phrases never
Could her jealous wrath forget:
Dainty Muse! She with fierce laughter
Curl'd her Grecian lip in scorn—
‘Leave thy place beside the fountain—
Themes like these must not be borne!
Curl'd her Grecian lip in scorn—
‘Leave thy place beside the fountain—
Themes like these must not be borne!
What, shall Fancy's depths, so lucid,
With such starry pureness rife,
Clouded be with turbid gushes
From the foulest wells of life?’
With such starry pureness rife,
Clouded be with turbid gushes
From the foulest wells of life?’
So she spawn'd her cheap ideals—
Left the warm and wedded hearth—
Would not learn the large and loving
Language of our mother-earth;
Left the warm and wedded hearth—
Would not learn the large and loving
Language of our mother-earth;
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Told us that the heart of Nature
Yearns but o'er an idle few—
Throned the selfish fond Stylites
On his pinnacle anew:—
Yearns but o'er an idle few—
Throned the selfish fond Stylites
On his pinnacle anew:—
Well might such be blind and erring
When she spake of things above;
Well beyond the marriage-music
Fear to lead her songs of Love!—
When she spake of things above;
Well beyond the marriage-music
Fear to lead her songs of Love!—
She hath suffer'd, and repented—
She is chasten'd, and revives
Truer to herself, and claiming
Larger kindred with men's lives;
She is chasten'd, and revives
Truer to herself, and claiming
Larger kindred with men's lives;
Yet she is not better'd wholly,—
Impulses of other days
Warp the feeble, and the stronger
Wind thro' strange unfruitful ways:
Impulses of other days
Warp the feeble, and the stronger
Wind thro' strange unfruitful ways:
For her child, the Poet, idly
Lulls him in an airy nest
Throned amid some gorgeous cloudland
In the ‘palpitating’ west;
Lulls him in an airy nest
Throned amid some gorgeous cloudland
In the ‘palpitating’ west;
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There, with strange and formless fancies
Reeling thro' his heart and brain,
Twines gay chaplets for the angels
To a wild enamour'd strain,—
Reeling thro' his heart and brain,
Twines gay chaplets for the angels
To a wild enamour'd strain,—
Woo's the countless stars their secrets
In his little breast to hoard,
Crowding it with twinkling glories
As the dewdrops crowd the sward;
In his little breast to hoard,
Crowding it with twinkling glories
As the dewdrops crowd the sward;
And, thro' tiny crevice peeping,
Takes a comprehensive view
Of the Home of the Eternal—
Of the Heavens beyond the blue!
Takes a comprehensive view
Of the Home of the Eternal—
Of the Heavens beyond the blue!
Scantly, in the Christian Bible,
Are her flowers to Fancy given;
Solemn clouds, mysterious grandeurs,
Dimly veil the Christian Heaven;
Are her flowers to Fancy given;
Solemn clouds, mysterious grandeurs,
Dimly veil the Christian Heaven;
But the daring bard hath revell'd
On the wings of spirit-cars,—
He hath mated with the angels—
He hath couch'd among the stars;—
On the wings of spirit-cars,—
He hath mated with the angels—
He hath couch'd among the stars;—
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He hath grasp'd a brighter Gospel—
Won for Earth a richer boon—
Sunn'd the twilight of the Bible
To a clear enchanting noon!
Won for Earth a richer boon—
Sunn'd the twilight of the Bible
To a clear enchanting noon!
Blessed bard! But shall he never
Hear these voices at his door—
Voices of the great wise-hearted,
Voices of the meek and poor—
Hear these voices at his door—
Voices of the great wise-hearted,
Voices of the meek and poor—
‘Give us back the ancient dimness—
Once again the mists of morn
And the trusting faith of childhood
In our weary souls be born!
Once again the mists of morn
And the trusting faith of childhood
In our weary souls be born!
‘Who art thou, a fellow-pilgrim
Faring to the self-same shrine,
That our hopes should wane and sicken
In the garish glow of thine?
Faring to the self-same shrine,
That our hopes should wane and sicken
In the garish glow of thine?
‘'Tis the glory of the twilight,
'Tis the blessedness of eve,
That no envious lights estrange us
From the visions we believe;
'Tis the blessedness of eve,
That no envious lights estrange us
From the visions we believe;
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‘Sorrow with her heart in heaven—
Love that blossoms on the Earth—
Young imaginative Manhood—
Prophets of a soberer birth—
Love that blossoms on the Earth—
Young imaginative Manhood—
Prophets of a soberer birth—
‘Humble souls whom Fancy never
Lured beyond the life they knew—
Each doth shape his proper heaven:
Who shall say he shapes not true?
Lured beyond the life they knew—
Each doth shape his proper heaven:
Who shall say he shapes not true?
‘Cease then, nor thy labour'd landscape
Trace with freedoms half profane;
Vain the brilliant baths of colour,
All the meaning touches vain:
Trace with freedoms half profane;
Vain the brilliant baths of colour,
All the meaning touches vain:
‘Dearer that suggestive outline
Faint, but with unerring rod,
Sketch'd upon the haze of morning
By the wisdom of our God.’
Faint, but with unerring rod,
Sketch'd upon the haze of morning
By the wisdom of our God.’
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