 | Lays of Leisure Hours |  |
DEFIANCE.
Away strong Love!—away, I will resist,
I will defy thee still while I exist,
I dare not sink before thy flowery shrine,
Another part—a different lot is mine;
I will defy thee, Love,
And ne'er thy mastery prove.
I will defy thee still while I exist,
I dare not sink before thy flowery shrine,
Another part—a different lot is mine;
I will defy thee, Love,
And ne'er thy mastery prove.
388
If once I yielded to thy fearful sway,
My passionate Soul would pour itself away
In luxury of self-scorning recklessness,
Even to thy worship—wreaked upon excess,
And should I thus forego
My nobler hopes below?
My passionate Soul would pour itself away
In luxury of self-scorning recklessness,
Even to thy worship—wreaked upon excess,
And should I thus forego
My nobler hopes below?
No! I will still avoid thee—still disown,
Nor make my Heart thy world, my Soul thy throne,
By higher duties called, and loftier claims,
That Heart and Soul are warmed by prouder flames;
I may not weakly pine
Beneath such rule as thine!
Nor make my Heart thy world, my Soul thy throne,
By higher duties called, and loftier claims,
That Heart and Soul are warmed by prouder flames;
I may not weakly pine
Beneath such rule as thine!
I know if my impassioned hope and trust
Were once bowed down unto the dismal dust,
My misery and mine agonized distress
Should grow still darkling, deepening to excess
And madness 'twere indeed,
To nail them on Love's reed.
Were once bowed down unto the dismal dust,
My misery and mine agonized distress
Should grow still darkling, deepening to excess
And madness 'twere indeed,
To nail them on Love's reed.
389
No! Love! I will defy thee and deny,
I will forswear thy pow'r—thy presence fly,
And at thy least approach will shrink away,
Lest I be won to yield unto thy sway;
I will defy thee still
Dark Love! thou deadliest ill!
I will forswear thy pow'r—thy presence fly,
And at thy least approach will shrink away,
Lest I be won to yield unto thy sway;
I will defy thee still
Dark Love! thou deadliest ill!
No word of thine shall reach my guarded ear,
Too much thy false and fatal power I fear,
I shun thee still—Ah! treacherous that thou art,
Who 'scapes the shaft that once hath struck his heart?
Far—far must I remove,
Ere I can shun thee, Love!
Too much thy false and fatal power I fear,
I shun thee still—Ah! treacherous that thou art,
Who 'scapes the shaft that once hath struck his heart?
Far—far must I remove,
Ere I can shun thee, Love!
Vain are the guarded ear, the watchful eye,
(Alas! I own it with a shuddering sigh)
When the dire Foe, the dark unbidden Guest
Doth in the heart's own core securely rest;
Vain are the vauntings now—
The vigil and the vow!
(Alas! I own it with a shuddering sigh)
When the dire Foe, the dark unbidden Guest
Doth in the heart's own core securely rest;
Vain are the vauntings now—
The vigil and the vow!
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