Queen Berengaria's Courtesy, and Other Poems By the Lady E. Stuart Wortley. In Three Vols |
 | I, II, III. |
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THE BACKWARD SPRING. |
 | Queen Berengaria's Courtesy, and Other Poems |  |
347
THE BACKWARD SPRING.
The moments round us now should break
In showers of sudden stars and bright;
For Spring the beautiful is here—
The Seasons' pride—the Year's delight.
In showers of sudden stars and bright;
For Spring the beautiful is here—
The Seasons' pride—the Year's delight.
But Winter, in unchanging gloom,
Seems frowning in expiring wrath,
And casting loweringly around
Dim funeral shadows o'er her path!
Seems frowning in expiring wrath,
And casting loweringly around
Dim funeral shadows o'er her path!
Yet the brave birds her presence feel,
Nor fear the expiring tyrant's threat,
Then bid her welcome to the World,
Nor one soft note of cheer forget!
Nor fear the expiring tyrant's threat,
Then bid her welcome to the World,
Nor one soft note of cheer forget!
348
The flowers, too, frailest things, and meek,
To lift their heads of beauty dare,
And yield their delicate delight—
E'en to this chill forbidding air.
To lift their heads of beauty dare,
And yield their delicate delight—
E'en to this chill forbidding air.
Here the pale primroses spread out
Their simple charms, to please the sight,
And there the violet's purple pride
Touches with richer tints the light.
Their simple charms, to please the sight,
And there the violet's purple pride
Touches with richer tints the light.
All things are true to thee, Oh! Spring,
Though not yet art thou true to them:
Haste, haste! or all thy votive flowers
Will fade untimely on the stem!
Though not yet art thou true to them:
Haste, haste! or all thy votive flowers
Will fade untimely on the stem!
The moments round us now should break
In showers of sudden stars—young joys
Should now accompany our steps;
But thy delay our hope destroys!
In showers of sudden stars—young joys
Should now accompany our steps;
But thy delay our hope destroys!
349
Fear'st thou, Oh! balmy-breathing Spring,
The expiring tyrant's rugged rage?
Smile—and thy grace of youth shall soothe
The intemperate fury of his age!
The expiring tyrant's rugged rage?
Smile—and thy grace of youth shall soothe
The intemperate fury of his age!
Thou, like some sweet, but weakling child,
Totterest three paces forward now,
And now shrinkest those three paces back,
Veiling thy rosy cherub brow.
Totterest three paces forward now,
And now shrinkest those three paces back,
Veiling thy rosy cherub brow.
Thy lovely frowardness or fear,
Thy weakness or unwillingness,
But make us fondly love thee more—
More prize what we may not possess!
Thy weakness or unwillingness,
But make us fondly love thee more—
More prize what we may not possess!
| Queen Berengaria's Courtesy, and Other Poems | |