 | Poems |  |
25
TO THE DEPARTED.
And must it be? Alas! 'tis past—'tis done!
Of thee this blossomy earth keeps now no trace;
Thou slumberest unawakened by the sun,
Though shining full on this thy silent place.
Of thee this blossomy earth keeps now no trace;
Thou slumberest unawakened by the sun,
Though shining full on this thy silent place.
Thou reckless Spring, soother of light annoy,
Say, wherefore perpetrate so wildly here
Thy rosy saturnalias of bright joy?
This anguish-haunted spot thou canst not cheer.
Say, wherefore perpetrate so wildly here
Thy rosy saturnalias of bright joy?
This anguish-haunted spot thou canst not cheer.
Thou canst not clear away with sheen and bloom
The lengthened shadows from the neighb'ring air!
The very flowers thou shed'st along this tomb
A melancholy beauty win and wear!
The lengthened shadows from the neighb'ring air!
The very flowers thou shed'st along this tomb
A melancholy beauty win and wear!
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The haunting murmurs that meet every breeze
Thy voice of triumph may not overpower,
Brooding o'er every leaf of these old trees,
E'en in the glory of their vernal hour.
Thy voice of triumph may not overpower,
Brooding o'er every leaf of these old trees,
E'en in the glory of their vernal hour.
O, hither come! ye weary ones and worn—
Ye pilgrims of a waste without a palm,
Who, bowed and stricken, fevered and o'erborne,
Faint on life's breezy seas for one hour's calm.
Ye pilgrims of a waste without a palm,
Who, bowed and stricken, fevered and o'erborne,
Faint on life's breezy seas for one hour's calm.
O, hither come! ye, sickening at life's din—
A stilly hush here sanctifies the scene—
A deepening mist folds all around, within
Its breathless coil, its breezeless calm serene!
A stilly hush here sanctifies the scene—
A deepening mist folds all around, within
Its breathless coil, its breezeless calm serene!
There's music in the wind that sweeps this grave,
There's music in the blue rill, wand'ring near,
There's music in the turf's low whispery wave—
But broken music, full of death and fear!
There's music in the blue rill, wand'ring near,
There's music in the turf's low whispery wave—
But broken music, full of death and fear!
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A viewless presence—voiceless consciousness!
Hath girt this spot with influences sublime;
Such influences as purify and bless,
And breathe of things beyond the grasp of Time.
Hath girt this spot with influences sublime;
Such influences as purify and bless,
And breathe of things beyond the grasp of Time.
Ah! Spring, the beautiful, more beauteous seems,
Though shorn and softened are her mightiest rays,
Seen by the solemn light, that from our dreams
Extracted, round her wand'ring footsteps plays!
Though shorn and softened are her mightiest rays,
Seen by the solemn light, that from our dreams
Extracted, round her wand'ring footsteps plays!
O! joy-awakening season to the throng
Whose hearts with hope's delicious trouble heave!
An understrain doth pierce thy rapturous song,
Breathing of peace to spirits marked to grieve.
Whose hearts with hope's delicious trouble heave!
An understrain doth pierce thy rapturous song,
Breathing of peace to spirits marked to grieve.
The rainbow-coloured denizens of air,
From their swift wings, around briefbrilliance shed;
Yet a rich sadness o'er this scene so fair,
A mantle of o'ershadowing dreams hath spread.
From their swift wings, around briefbrilliance shed;
Yet a rich sadness o'er this scene so fair,
A mantle of o'ershadowing dreams hath spread.
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Around, a deep religious hallowing tone
A reverential stillness doth impress!
Reminding of a something lost and flown,
Till every thought is touched with holiness.
A reverential stillness doth impress!
Reminding of a something lost and flown,
Till every thought is touched with holiness.
O, that I might behold once more that face,
With exquisite expressions shadowed o'er,
Whose lineaments even time shall ne'er erase
From that full tablet—my heart's bleeding core!
With exquisite expressions shadowed o'er,
Whose lineaments even time shall ne'er erase
From that full tablet—my heart's bleeding core!
O, that I might thy visioned form behold,
Throned on a thousand burning clouds above,
More glorious than those godlike dreams of old
That through the sculptor's marble smiled in love!
Throned on a thousand burning clouds above,
More glorious than those godlike dreams of old
That through the sculptor's marble smiled in love!
Yet, how might I the uncurtained mystery bear—
Who still with shadowy hopes and fears have striven—
Too deeply beautiful—too pure—too fair,
And girt with dazzling atmospheres of heaven!
Who still with shadowy hopes and fears have striven—
Too deeply beautiful—too pure—too fair,
And girt with dazzling atmospheres of heaven!
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Yet e'en these faint and clouded fantasies,
These dreamings of a dream, bring strange delight;
Strengthening my soul to gaze on those rich skies,
Which else had shone too joyous and too bright!
These dreamings of a dream, bring strange delight;
Strengthening my soul to gaze on those rich skies,
Which else had shone too joyous and too bright!
No more I'll braid the dim funereal wreath,
Nor cypress foliage into death-crowns twine;
What hath a thought of thee to do with death?
Thou turn'st the grave into a haunt divine.
Nor cypress foliage into death-crowns twine;
What hath a thought of thee to do with death?
Thou turn'st the grave into a haunt divine.
No! roses here shall bend their glorious brows,
And shower their dewy splendours o'er thy urn;
And those pale flowers that crown the unsunned snows
Shall strew it when drear winter lowereth stern.
And shower their dewy splendours o'er thy urn;
And those pale flowers that crown the unsunned snows
Shall strew it when drear winter lowereth stern.
E'en strangely lovely here, 'neath noontide's ray,
Shall every flower appear, and every leaf,
When with unshrinking heart I muse and pray,
Mingling the richest hopes with fitful grief:
Shall every flower appear, and every leaf,
When with unshrinking heart I muse and pray,
Mingling the richest hopes with fitful grief:
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Mingling a rapture with the unbidden sigh,
A thoughtful rapture, pure and calm as sleep,
Till my own soul seems soaring to the sky,
Lost in those mighty hopes, the full and deep:
A thoughtful rapture, pure and calm as sleep,
Till my own soul seems soaring to the sky,
Lost in those mighty hopes, the full and deep:
Hopes of thy precious happiness fulfilled!
For, O! oft ached thy gentle heart below;
Yet was that heart, by selfishness unchilled,
True to the magnet of another's wo!
For, O! oft ached thy gentle heart below;
Yet was that heart, by selfishness unchilled,
True to the magnet of another's wo!
O, how thy lip could pour mellifluous sounds,
Making the heart with sudden thrills rejoice!
But every joy on earth hath envious bounds—
Silenced eternally is that soft voice.
Making the heart with sudden thrills rejoice!
But every joy on earth hath envious bounds—
Silenced eternally is that soft voice.
This morn I lingered by the wandering river—
A strange weight on my faltering spirits hung;
Deep mournful thoughts of her, the lost for ever!
Around my path with saddening influence clung.
A strange weight on my faltering spirits hung;
Deep mournful thoughts of her, the lost for ever!
Around my path with saddening influence clung.
31
A bright flower floated down the exulting stream,
And gleamed in beauty on the dancing wave,
Winning fresh radiance from each ruddy beam—
How soon to perish in that shining grave!
And gleamed in beauty on the dancing wave,
Winning fresh radiance from each ruddy beam—
How soon to perish in that shining grave!
A steep cascade was brightly foaming near,
And dashed to instant death the rainbowed flower:
Alas! like thee! thou parted one and dear,
Its brilliant life seemed measured by an hour.
And dashed to instant death the rainbowed flower:
Alas! like thee! thou parted one and dear,
Its brilliant life seemed measured by an hour.
So down the tide of time thy life was carried,
So rich thy bloom upon the world's wild wave,
So down the steep of death thy course was hurried,
So wert thou swallowed in thy sudden grave.
So rich thy bloom upon the world's wild wave,
So down the steep of death thy course was hurried,
So wert thou swallowed in thy sudden grave.
The innocent blush that mocked that sun-stained rose
Passed, meteor-like!—the eye's pure diamond-blaze,
Beneath Annihilation's fiat, froze—
No more to drink nor to dispense heaven's rays.
Passed, meteor-like!—the eye's pure diamond-blaze,
Beneath Annihilation's fiat, froze—
No more to drink nor to dispense heaven's rays.
32
O, Memory! shun the long and dark eclipse
That bowed our souls beneath a weight of night,
When the last breath passed fluttering from those lips—
When trembled from those eyes the last pale light!
That bowed our souls beneath a weight of night,
When the last breath passed fluttering from those lips—
When trembled from those eyes the last pale light!
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