 | A Day in the Woods |  |
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THE OLD ENGLISH WOOD.
What booted it to traverse o'er
Plain, forest, river? Man nor brute,
Nor dint of hoof, nor print of foot,
Lay in the wild luxuriant soil;
No sign of travail—none of toil.
Byron.
Plain, forest, river? Man nor brute,
Nor dint of hoof, nor print of foot,
Lay in the wild luxuriant soil;
No sign of travail—none of toil.
Byron.
With cloudy wings outstretched in deathly gloom
Came shady Silence, leading sullen Night
Mantled in darkness dreary as the tomb,
Whose sable shield resists the piercing sight,
And mocks the efforts of excluded light,
Waiting in vain to gild the pitchy vault;
So, brooding o'er the forest's leafy height,
In murky clouds, marching with dark assault,
Came ebon Night, no morn to bid her black steeds halt.
Came shady Silence, leading sullen Night
Mantled in darkness dreary as the tomb,
Whose sable shield resists the piercing sight,
And mocks the efforts of excluded light,
Waiting in vain to gild the pitchy vault;
So, brooding o'er the forest's leafy height,
In murky clouds, marching with dark assault,
Came ebon Night, no morn to bid her black steeds halt.
Hark! from yon wood is heard the wolf's long howl,
Loud echoes deepen—o'er the savage plain
The listening fox halts on his midnight prowl,
Then, gliding cautiously, proceeds again;
Oft turning round, although he turns in vain,
Increasing darkness hides each moving foe;
Green leaves resound with drops of dancing rain;
At intervals hoarse winds in wild gusts blow,
While tall trees bend and sigh like men in deepest woe.
Loud echoes deepen—o'er the savage plain
The listening fox halts on his midnight prowl,
Then, gliding cautiously, proceeds again;
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Increasing darkness hides each moving foe;
Green leaves resound with drops of dancing rain;
At intervals hoarse winds in wild gusts blow,
While tall trees bend and sigh like men in deepest woe.
The startled raven quits her lofty nest,
And circles round the huge broad-branching oak,
Where her young nestlings closely gathered rest,
Stretching their beaks, roused by her harsh deep croak;
While howling wolves have ravenously broke
The caverned wood, across the heath they stray
Impelled by hunger; rage appears to choke
Their clamorous yell—anon they bound away,
Sweeping the level plain full speed in quest of prey.
And circles round the huge broad-branching oak,
Where her young nestlings closely gathered rest,
Stretching their beaks, roused by her harsh deep croak;
While howling wolves have ravenously broke
The caverned wood, across the heath they stray
Impelled by hunger; rage appears to choke
Their clamorous yell—anon they bound away,
Sweeping the level plain full speed in quest of prey.
The wolf's stern howl, joined with the raven's cry,
Rouses the wild deer from his shady lair;
From snow-white thorns bright pendant rain-drops fly;
Round the deep glen in vain his brown eyes glare,
Impenetrable gloom resists his stare.
Now! now! he flies, he clears the frowning wood,
Sweeps by the wondering, timid, trembling hare,
Brushes the blossom, shakes the tender bud,
Gains the extended plain, and swims the gurgling flood.
Rouses the wild deer from his shady lair;
From snow-white thorns bright pendant rain-drops fly;
Round the deep glen in vain his brown eyes glare,
Impenetrable gloom resists his stare.
Now! now! he flies, he clears the frowning wood,
Sweeps by the wondering, timid, trembling hare,
Brushes the blossom, shakes the tender bud,
Gains the extended plain, and swims the gurgling flood.
Majestic grandeur stamped that solemn scene,
For weary miles an outstretched forest lay,
But seldom trod by things of mortal mien;
Here Nature sat enthroned in wild array,
Profusely decked, with firs and witching bay;
Here broad oaks threw afar their shady arms
O'er creeping brambles, which unguided stray
Around the trunk, where loving ivy swarms,
And playful squirrels climb, rocked safe from all alarms.
For weary miles an outstretched forest lay,
But seldom trod by things of mortal mien;
Here Nature sat enthroned in wild array,
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Here broad oaks threw afar their shady arms
O'er creeping brambles, which unguided stray
Around the trunk, where loving ivy swarms,
And playful squirrels climb, rocked safe from all alarms.
Here quivering aspens kissed the whispering gale,
And hawthorns blossomed, hid in sunless shade;
The mourning ring-dove cooed her doleful tale;
The holly green its shining leaves displayed;
The branching birch o'erhung the flowery glade;
The towering elm sheltered the noisy rook,
The hazel in rich foliage stood arrayed;
The willow trembled o'er the wimpling brook,
Whose bright, smooth, mirrored face tall whistling reeds o'erlook.
And hawthorns blossomed, hid in sunless shade;
The mourning ring-dove cooed her doleful tale;
The holly green its shining leaves displayed;
The branching birch o'erhung the flowery glade;
The towering elm sheltered the noisy rook,
The hazel in rich foliage stood arrayed;
The willow trembled o'er the wimpling brook,
Whose bright, smooth, mirrored face tall whistling reeds o'erlook.
The sullen crabtree flourished 'neath the beech;
Above, the toppling wild pine reared its head,
As though the lowering clouds it fain would reach,
So proudly high those lofty arms were spread,
Whose rustling leaves the winds profusely shed.
Luxuriant box stood robed in gloomy hue,
And cypress nodded o'er the glen's dark bed,
Where stately ash o'ertopped the bow-famed yew,
Bursting in silent grandeur on the astonished view.
Above, the toppling wild pine reared its head,
As though the lowering clouds it fain would reach,
So proudly high those lofty arms were spread,
Whose rustling leaves the winds profusely shed.
Luxuriant box stood robed in gloomy hue,
And cypress nodded o'er the glen's dark bed,
Where stately ash o'ertopped the bow-famed yew,
Bursting in silent grandeur on the astonished view.
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The woods, the glades, and dells were sprinkled round
With healing herbs, and variegated flowers;
The savage forest then no lordling owned,
No studied art bedecked her native bowers;
Her rugged silent breast inhaled the showers,
And blushing roses shed their beauteous bloom;
The circling wood-bine o'er the whitethorn towers.
They live and die amid the forest gloom,
Like maiden beauty snatched untimely to the tomb.
With healing herbs, and variegated flowers;
The savage forest then no lordling owned,
No studied art bedecked her native bowers;
Her rugged silent breast inhaled the showers,
And blushing roses shed their beauteous bloom;
The circling wood-bine o'er the whitethorn towers.
They live and die amid the forest gloom,
Like maiden beauty snatched untimely to the tomb.
Ill-scented hen-bane o'er the gromel hung,
And humble chick-weed 'neath wild rockets spread;
'Mid noisome fox-glove and the serpents'-tongue
The purple true-love reared its shining head.
There hoary wood-sage pleasing odours shed
O'er richly tinted golden maiden-hair;
And spreading dove's-foot garbed in glaring red,
And cuckoo flowers—that like some modest fair,
Bear a slight crimson blush beneath the unwelcome stare.
And humble chick-weed 'neath wild rockets spread;
'Mid noisome fox-glove and the serpents'-tongue
The purple true-love reared its shining head.
There hoary wood-sage pleasing odours shed
O'er richly tinted golden maiden-hair;
And spreading dove's-foot garbed in glaring red,
And cuckoo flowers—that like some modest fair,
Bear a slight crimson blush beneath the unwelcome stare.
Above the endive's flower of heavenly blue
Spread the rough leaves of deadly dark nightshade;
Around a golden gleam bright kingcups threw;
Primroses were in long pale ranks arrayed,
And spotted cowslips nodded in the glade;
The modest lily shed her feeble light,
The thistle's white locks o'er the groundsel strayed,
Where knots of tall fair daisies, robed in white,
Gleamed through the sullen ranks of cloudy-columned Night.
Spread the rough leaves of deadly dark nightshade;
Around a golden gleam bright kingcups threw;
Primroses were in long pale ranks arrayed,
And spotted cowslips nodded in the glade;
The modest lily shed her feeble light,
The thistle's white locks o'er the groundsel strayed,
Where knots of tall fair daisies, robed in white,
Gleamed through the sullen ranks of cloudy-columned Night.
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There silver-grass in rank luxuriance grew,
And broad docks paved the broader sloping dale;
The wild vine o'er the thorn its green arms threw,
Whose leafy wings flew streaming in the gale,
Or o'er the violet spread an emerald sail:
Around tall shady orpines proudly rise,
And branching hemlocks thickly stud the vale,
Screening the dazzling broom's deep yellow eyes,
That 'neath the shady plant in armed ambush lies.
And broad docks paved the broader sloping dale;
The wild vine o'er the thorn its green arms threw,
Whose leafy wings flew streaming in the gale,
Or o'er the violet spread an emerald sail:
Around tall shady orpines proudly rise,
And branching hemlocks thickly stud the vale,
Screening the dazzling broom's deep yellow eyes,
That 'neath the shady plant in armed ambush lies.
Along the shelving banks grew scented thyme,
And rag-wort with expanded woolly leaves;
There yellow toad-flux up the mallows climb,
And dark-leaved eye-bright to the tutson cleaves,
Where the ingenious gossamer oft weaves
The dew-strung woof, which rides the sweeping breeze;
Above the towering cummin tries to heave
Its seedy head, shunned by the humming bees,
Who spread at day their pinions o'er the broad dwarf trees.
And rag-wort with expanded woolly leaves;
There yellow toad-flux up the mallows climb,
And dark-leaved eye-bright to the tutson cleaves,
Where the ingenious gossamer oft weaves
The dew-strung woof, which rides the sweeping breeze;
Above the towering cummin tries to heave
Its seedy head, shunned by the humming bees,
Who spread at day their pinions o'er the broad dwarf trees.
No habitation graced that rugged scene,
No pathway bore the track of man or steed;
Dark trees the dell from streaming sunbeams screen,
Where hungry wolves on slaughtered wild deer feed,
And otters dive beneath the trembling reed:
No cultivation here smoothed Nature's face,
No nodding corn, nor hedge-engirded mead,
Across this savage scene the eye could trace;
Diana here alone might lead the sylvan chase.
No pathway bore the track of man or steed;
Dark trees the dell from streaming sunbeams screen,
Where hungry wolves on slaughtered wild deer feed,
And otters dive beneath the trembling reed:
No cultivation here smoothed Nature's face,
No nodding corn, nor hedge-engirded mead,
Across this savage scene the eye could trace;
Diana here alone might lead the sylvan chase.
| A Day in the Woods | |