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The bird and the bell, with other poems

Cranch, Christopher Pearse (1813-1892)

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[section]
  
[As one who in some cellar crypt has kept]
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THE BIRD AND THE BELL
  
[prologue]
 I. 
I.
 II. 
II.
 III. 
III.
 IV. 
IV.
 V. 
V.
 VI. 
VI.
 VII. 
VII.
 VIII. 
VIII.
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IX.
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X.
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XI.
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XII.
 XIII. 
XIII.
 XIV. 
XIV.
 XV. 
XV.
 XVI. 
XVI.
 XVII. 
XVII.
 XVIII. 
XVIII.
 XIX. 
XIX.
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XX.
 XXI. 
XXI.
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XXII.
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XXIII.
 XXIV. 
XXIV.
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XXV.
 XXVI. 
XXVI.
 XXVII. 
XXVII.
 XXVIII. 
XVIII.
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XXIX.
 XXX. 
XXX.
 XXXI. 
XXXI.
 XXXII. 
XXXII.
 XXXIII. 
XXXIII.
 XXXIV. 
XXXIV.
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XXXV.
 XXXVI. 
XXXVI.
 XXXVII. 
XXXVII.
 XXXVIII. 
XXXVIII.
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XXXIX.
 XL. 
XL.
 XLI. 
XLI.
 XLII. 
XLII.
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XLIII.
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XLIV.
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XLV.
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XLVI.
 XLVII. 
XLVII.
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XLVIII.
 XLIX. 
XLIX.
 L. 
L.
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LI.
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LII.
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LIII.
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LIV.
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LVI.
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LXI.
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LXII.
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LXIII.
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LXIV.
 LXV. 
LXV.
  
THE THREE MUSES.
  
THE SHADOWED RIVER.
  
NOVEMBER TREES.
  
THE FLOWER AND THE BEE.
  
THE CATARACT ISLE.
  
IN THE GARDEN.
  
IN THE PINE WOODS.
  
LUNA THROUGH A LORGNETTE.
  
IN THE PALAIS ROYAL GARDEN.
  
CORNUCOPIA.
  
A FRIEND.
  
THE AUTUMN RAIN.
  
SPIRITS IN PRISON.
  
BLONDEL.
  
THE OLD DAYS AND THE NEW.
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WHY!
 1. 
I.
 2. 
II.
  
THROUGH THE FIELDS TO ST. PETER'S.
  
MARION DALE.
  
VEILS.
  
THE SPIRIT OF THE AGE.
  
ATALANTA.
  
AL HASSAN'S SECRET.
  
MY OLD PALETTE.
  
THE BOBOLINKS.
  
THE BOBOLINKS.
  
CRETE.
  
J. R. L.
  
SEA SHADOWS.
  
THE MOUNTAIN PATH.
  
BIRD LANGUAGE.
  
THE CHANGING YEAR.
  
SOFT, BROWN, SMILING EYES.
  
THE DREAM OF PILATE'S WIFE.
  
THE DISPUTE OF THE SEVEN DAYS.
  
A THRUSH IN A GILDED CAGE.
  
UNDER THE SKYLIGHT.
  
I IN THEE, AND THOU IN ME.
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TO THE MEMORY OF MARGARET FULLER OSSOLI.
 1. 
I.
 2. 
II.
 3. 
III.
 4. 
IV.
 5. 
V.
 6. 
VI.
 7. 
VII.
  
IAPIS.
  
THE WORKSHOP AND THE BRONZE.
  
THE EVENING PRIMROSE.
  
IN A CHURCH.
  
DECEMBER.
  
A CHINESE STORY.
  
A SONG OF HOME.
  
A SPRING-GROWL.
  
WAITING BY THE SEA.
  
SHELLING PEAS.
  
LOUIS NAPOLEON.
  
BY THE SHORE OF THE RIVER.
  
THE AMERICAN PANTHEON.
  
IN THE FOREST OF FONTAINEBLEAU.
  
A DAY OF MEMORIES.
  
THE GUEST.
  
OCTOBER.
  
TO A HALF-FRIEND.
  
MUSIC.
  
COMPENSATION.
  
A BATTLE OF THE ELEMENTS.
  
MEMORIAL HALL.
  
DREAM-LIFE.
  
THE CENTURY AND THE NATION.
  
THE LAY OF THRYM; OR, THE HAMMER RECOVERED.
  
MICHAEL ANGELO BUONAROTTI.
  
ON RE-READING TENNYSON'S PRINCESS.
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SONNETS.
  
THE HIGHER LAW.
  
CIRCUMSTANCE.
  
SHAKESPEARE.
  
THE GARDEN.
  
THE GARDEN (CONTINUED).
  
TO G. W. C.
  
TO W. W. S.
  
TO W. W. S.
  
TO O. B. F.
  
TO O. B. F. (CONTINUED.)
  
YOUTH AND AGE.
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POEMS OF THE WAR.
  
THE BURIAL OF THE FLAG.
  
THE ROSE OF DEATH.
  
NOVEMBER 8TH, 1864.
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SONNETS FOR THE TIMES.
 1. 
I. THE DARK TOWER.
 2. 
II. DELIVERANCE.
 3. 
III. THE ABOLITIONISTS.
 4. 
IV. THE DAWN OF PEACE.
 5. 
V. THE DEATH-BLOW.
 6. 
VI. THE MARTYR.
 7. 
VII. OUR COUNTRY.

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227

THE GUEST.

Thou shalt go alone and sad.
Men will deem thy raptures vain,
And thy products poor and bad,
And thy progress change, not gain.
When thou meet'st another man,
Thou from him and he from thee
Shall be shut as by a ban,
Save in words of courtesy.
Symbols thou shalt deem uncouth
To his creed are dear and fair;
What to thee is trust and truth
Seems to him but empty air.
Thou and he are veiled about
By two webs of time and space,
Spun from films of faith and doubt,
Warped and woofed across each face.
228

Only on the central ground
Paved by character and deeds
Shall the interchange be found
Spirit touching spirit needs.
If thou strivest much to love
What the multitude delights,
Thy unwilling guest shall prove
Darkener of thy own true lights.
In thy home-spun garb and place,
In the castle of thy thought,
Heed not every stranger face
Peering in, to tell thee naught.
But when flits a spirit nigh,
Howsoever mean his state,
If kindred light illumes his eye,
See that he passes not thy gate.
Him thou shalt house, and entertain,
Till thou hast made his love thy gain.
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