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University of Virginia Library

Poems

By Edward Dowden

Dowden, Edward (1843-1913)

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IN THE GALLERIES

I.

I. THE APOLLO BELVEDERE

II.

II. THE VENUS OF MELOS

III.

III. ANTINOUS CROWNED AS BACCHUS

IV.

IV. LEONARDO'S “MONNA LISA”

V.

V. ST LUKE PAINTING THE VIRGIN

“LA RÉVÉLATION PAR LE DÉSERT”

THE MORNING STAR

A CHILD'S NOONDAY SLEEP

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I.

II.

III.

III. AN INTERIOR

IV.

V.

V. A SUMMER MOON

VI.

VII.

VII. EARLY AUTUMN

VIII.

VIII. LATER AUTUMN

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I.

I. THE ASSUMPTION

II.

II. THE ARTIST'S WAITING

III.

III. COUNSELLORS

IV.

V.

VI.

VII.

VII. NEWS FOR LONDON

AMONG THE ROCKS

A SONG OF THE NEW DAY

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MEMORIALS OF TRAVEL

I.

II.

II. IN A MOUNTAIN PASS

III.

III. THE CASTLE

IV.

IV. Αισθητιχη φαντασια

V.

V. ON THE SEA-CLIFF

VI.

VI. ASCETIC NATURE

VII.

VIII.

VIII. ON THE PIER OF BOULOGNE

IX.

IN THE TWILIGHT

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I.

II.

III.

III. SEEKING GOD

IV.

IV. DARWINISM IN MORALS

V.

VI.

VII.

VIII.

VIII. A SONNET FOR THE TIMES

IX.

X.

XI.

XI. DELIVERANCE

XII.

XII. PARADISE LOST

THE RESTING PLACE

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NEW HYMNS FOR SOLITUDE

I.

II.

III.

IV.

V.

VI.

IN THE CATHEDRAL CLOSE

THE SECRET OF THE UNIVERSE:

BEAU RIVAGE HOTEL

IN A JUNE NIGHT

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FROM APRIL TO OCTOBER

I.

II.

II TWO INFINITIES

III.

IV.

IV. THE SKYLARK

V.

V. THE MILL-RACE

VI.

VI. IN THE WOOD

VII.

VII. THE PAUSE OF EVENING

VIII.

IX.

IX. IN SEPTEMBER

X.

X. IN THE WINDOW

XI.

XI. AN AUTUMN MORNING

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ABOARD THE “SEA-SWALLOW”

IN THE MOUNTAINS

“THE TOP OF A HILL CALLED CLEAR”

SPEAKERS TO GOD

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MISCELLANEOUS SONNETS

A DAY OF DEFECTION

SONG AND SILENCE

MICHELANGELESQUE

TO A CHILD DEAD AS SOON AS BORN

WISE PASSIVENESS

THE SINGER'S PLEA

PROMETHEUS UNBOUND

THE MODERN ELIJAH

DAVID AND MICHAL

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I.

II.

III.

IV.

V.

VI.

VII.

VIII.

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MISCELLANEOUS POEMS OF LATER DATES

THE DIVINING ROD

WHERE WERT THOU?

WINTER NOONTIDE

THE DESIRE TO GIVE

A BEECH-TREE IN WINTER

DÜRER'S “MELENCHOLIA”

MILLET'S “THE SOWER”

AT MULLION (CORNWALL)

THE WINNOWER TO THE WINDS

SENT TO AN AMERICAN SHAKESPEARE SOCIETY

PARADISE LOST AND FOUND

AFTER METASTASIO

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I.

II.

III.

IV.

V.

IN THE CATHEDRAL

EDGAR ALLAN POE

DEUS ABSCONDITUS

FLOWERS FROM THE SOUTH OF FRANCE

IMITATED FROM J. SOULARY'S “LE FOSSOYEUR”

IMITATED FROM GOETHE'S “GANYMEDE”

WITH A COPY OF MY “POEMS”

PROLOGUE TO MAURICE GEROTHWOHL'S VERSION OF VIGNY'S “CHATTERTON”

THE DROPS OF NECTAR. 1789

AMOR AS LANDSCAPE-PAINTER

IMITATED FROM GOETHE'S “ALEXIS AND DORA”

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III. ANTINOUS CROWNED AS BACCHUS

(In the British Museum)

Who crowned thy forehead with the ivy wreath
And clustered berries burdening the hair?
Who gave thee godhood, and dim rites? Beware
O beautiful, who breathest mortal breath,
Thou delicate flame great gloom environeth!
The gods are free, and drink a stainless air,
And lightly on calm shoulders they upbear
A weight of joy eternal, nor can Death
Cast o'er their sleep the shadow of her shrine.
O thou confessed too mortal by the o'er-fraught
Crowned forehead, must thy drooped eyes ever see
The glut of pleasure, those pale lips of thine
Still suck a bitter-sweet satiety,
Thy soul descend through cloudy realms of thought?