 | Quo Musa Tendis? |  |
74
Autumn Thoughts.
Winter in the College Garden,
Twigs for leaves, and snow for grass,
Biting blasts that sear and harden
Where soft zephyrs used to pass,
Hidden places, white bare spaces;—
What a change it was!
Twigs for leaves, and snow for grass,
Biting blasts that sear and harden
Where soft zephyrs used to pass,
Hidden places, white bare spaces;—
What a change it was!
Months have passed since I beheld it:
Soon it may be here again,
Summer's gone: grey ghosts expelled it:
Sad's the murmur of the rain:—
“Winter, winter!”—dreary hinter:
Hear the dull refrain.
Soon it may be here again,
Summer's gone: grey ghosts expelled it:
Sad's the murmur of the rain:—
“Winter, winter!”—dreary hinter:
Hear the dull refrain.
As I sit this wet October
Russet leaf-clouds whirling by,
Can I but be grave and sober,
Drooping spirit, downcast eye,
Thinking dimly, brooding grimly;—
Winter, winter's nigh?
Russet leaf-clouds whirling by,
Can I but be grave and sober,
Drooping spirit, downcast eye,
Thinking dimly, brooding grimly;—
Winter, winter's nigh?
And the world that I'm recalling:—
Such a world of burnished snow!
Scarce a brown leaf left for falling:
Not a green leaf left to show
How the splendid colours blended
Twenty weeks ago!
Such a world of burnished snow!
Scarce a brown leaf left for falling:
Not a green leaf left to show
How the splendid colours blended
Twenty weeks ago!
75
Up and down the long white spaces,
Where dim leaves are whirling now,
How I gazed on phantom-faces,
How I planned—no matter how!
Here I wandered, here I pondered,
Here I made a vow.
Where dim leaves are whirling now,
How I gazed on phantom-faces,
How I planned—no matter how!
Here I wandered, here I pondered,
Here I made a vow.
Cold crisp renovating weather,
Clear and colourless and bright,
This, I think, should go together
With a mind intent on right,
Plans revolving, deeds resolving,
Seeking for the light.
Clear and colourless and bright,
This, I think, should go together
With a mind intent on right,
Plans revolving, deeds resolving,
Seeking for the light.
Yes, I made a vow, and wrote it
In my heart, nine months ago:
Framed a contract—I could quote it:
Drew a line to walk by—so:
Have I kept it? or o'erleapt it?
Well, I hardly know.
In my heart, nine months ago:
Framed a contract—I could quote it:
Drew a line to walk by—so:
Have I kept it? or o'erleapt it?
Well, I hardly know.
| Quo Musa Tendis? | |