 | Collected Poems of Thomas Parnell |  |
428
Fragments
[Three verse passages from a prose meditation]
On verdurd trees ye silver blossoms grow
Whose leaves atop their perfect whiteness show
& faintly streak with stains of red below
The western breeze steales ore ye shady grove
to sigh near roses as insnard by love.
Whose leaves atop their perfect whiteness show
& faintly streak with stains of red below
The western breeze steales ore ye shady grove
to sigh near roses as insnard by love.
The waves pushed on by waves in mountains ly
Mixd with ye clouds ye Parent waters fly
& the cross'd winds roar hideous in ye sky
The east & west the south & north contend
While the vexd sea beneath is neithers friend
Above ye winds below the billows Jarr
& nature is become the seat of warr
Mixd with ye clouds ye Parent waters fly
& the cross'd winds roar hideous in ye sky
The east & west the south & north contend
While the vexd sea beneath is neithers friend
Above ye winds below the billows Jarr
& nature is become the seat of warr
Look how ye silent waters stealing by
With such smooth motions as deceive our eye
Returns ye pleasing pictures of ye sky
There shines ye sun with imitated rayes
her borrowd light ye paler moon displays
& ye cleare heavens wear an azure face
So lett thy temper due composure find
By all the modest rules that bound ye mind
That Whether fortune with a storm assails
Or Courts thy wishes with indulgent gales
No passion interpose a cloud between
But on thy bosome undisturbd within
May natures God & natures form [be seen]
With such smooth motions as deceive our eye
Returns ye pleasing pictures of ye sky
There shines ye sun with imitated rayes
her borrowd light ye paler moon displays
& ye cleare heavens wear an azure face
So lett thy temper due composure find
By all the modest rules that bound ye mind
That Whether fortune with a storm assails
Or Courts thy wishes with indulgent gales
No passion interpose a cloud between
But on thy bosome undisturbd within
May natures God & natures form [be seen]
429
[Untitled, unfinished poem]
The first who lovd me turnd wth tender eyes
Since ye rogue will why lett us sail she cryes
Her kind consent was sure for Love is kind
& Woman's Love when Love has won her mind
The second stopd then with a careless moan—
Tis well—tis dang'rous to be left alone
Since ye rogue will why lett us sail she cryes
Her kind consent was sure for Love is kind
& Woman's Love when Love has won her mind
The second stopd then with a careless moan—
Tis well—tis dang'rous to be left alone
The grant obtaind ye lovely creatures plact
I loosd—No reader—broke ye broke ye rope for hast
Bending I plyd the oar to me twas rare
A new mean labour—but ye dear was there
Yet far from Shore I never meant to rove
Fond to divert but not to risque my Love.
No means were here to shun ye Lovers view
& I woud gaze & she must bear it too
But as I gazd (the maid sat Just before)
how faint I drew ye Long forgetfull oar
How my tird balls with fixd attention strain
Still feel ye pleasure & forget ye pain
In my soft words I made my soul appear
& tund my voice to melt them in her ear
She sits & heares yet hears with no regard
I thought the rocks we passd not half as hard
The second maid the more unhappy she
With eager glances bent her eyes on me
Whilst I regardless from her rival dame
Still took ye fewel which increasd my flame
Yet not to kill her as a lovers cares
Are oft dissembled I grew brisk in airs
Then both grew brisk & as they saild along
first softly warbling raisd a syren song
Through seas & air the trembling Musick flew
& charmd ye powers that wear ye watry blew
Drawn by the notes around them Dolphins play
& wave soft circles in the glassy Sea
I loosd—No reader—broke ye broke ye rope for hast
Bending I plyd the oar to me twas rare
A new mean labour—but ye dear was there
Yet far from Shore I never meant to rove
Fond to divert but not to risque my Love.
No means were here to shun ye Lovers view
& I woud gaze & she must bear it too
But as I gazd (the maid sat Just before)
how faint I drew ye Long forgetfull oar
How my tird balls with fixd attention strain
Still feel ye pleasure & forget ye pain
In my soft words I made my soul appear
& tund my voice to melt them in her ear
She sits & heares yet hears with no regard
I thought the rocks we passd not half as hard
The second maid the more unhappy she
With eager glances bent her eyes on me
Whilst I regardless from her rival dame
Still took ye fewel which increasd my flame
Yet not to kill her as a lovers cares
Are oft dissembled I grew brisk in airs
Then both grew brisk & as they saild along
first softly warbling raisd a syren song
Through seas & air the trembling Musick flew
& charmd ye powers that wear ye watry blew
Drawn by the notes around them Dolphins play
& wave soft circles in the glassy Sea
430
[When ore my temples balmy vapours rise]
When ore my temples balmy vapours rise
Whose soft suffusion dims the sinking eyes
Gay dreams in troops fantastically light
On silent plumes wave down through sable night
Nights sable curtains draw before my eye
& gently clears a visionary Sky
the running darkness draws its dusky shade
from off the beautys of a flowry mead
More & still more forsakes the lengthening plain
Mounts gray & ends it in a sylvan scene.
Whose soft suffusion dims the sinking eyes
Gay dreams in troops fantastically light
On silent plumes wave down through sable night
Nights sable curtains draw before my eye
& gently clears a visionary Sky
the running darkness draws its dusky shade
from off the beautys of a flowry mead
More & still more forsakes the lengthening plain
Mounts gray & ends it in a sylvan scene.
Poizd & aloft I sail in glittring air
& Joy to view my newborn earth so fair
& Joy to view my newborn earth so fair
[Untitled fragment]
When Pop'ry s arbitrary yoakBritannia feard of late
To liberty Religion spoke
To save ye sinking state
Joy of the World the Goddess said
Can no great soul be found
To move for this
Ore
Joy of both worlds the nymph replyd
| Collected Poems of Thomas Parnell | |