The Descent into Hell Second Edition, Revised and Re-arranged, with an Analysis and Notes: To which are added, Uriel, a Fragment and Three Odes. By John A. Heraud |
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ODE. |
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| I. |
| I. |
| II. |
| IV. |
| V. |
| VI. |
| III. |
| IV. |
| XI. |
| XII. |
| V. |
| XIII. |
| XIV. |
| XV. |
| XVI. |
| VI. |
| XVII. |
| XVIII. |
| XIX. |
| XX. |
| VII. |
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| I. |
| II. |
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 | The Descent into Hell |  |
vii
ODE.
The Heart may be too proud,
Even a Parent's Heart!
My Boy! thou wert—thou art
My Boast, even in thy shroud!
Death hath come up amongst my little Flock,
And taken One from out my darling Seven,
The loveliest—worthiest—as a special mock,
Or rather marked him as preferred for Heaven.
My Boy! my own broad-browed, precocious Boy!
Thy Body was a Casket, fair but frail—
No helm hadst thou—no warrior's coat of mail—
The golden Chain, that linked it to thy Soul,
Was weak, that it might snap, ere came annoy;
Early the garment dropt, soon won the goal.
Hence as I watched thee, resting midst the strife,
Beauty on thy calm features set her seal,
The Beauty of the Dying;—nay, the Life
Of Hope, to Victory making sure appeal,
Bringing the Distant near,
And of the Future saying—‘It is here.’
Even a Parent's Heart!
My Boy! thou wert—thou art
My Boast, even in thy shroud!
Death hath come up amongst my little Flock,
And taken One from out my darling Seven,
The loveliest—worthiest—as a special mock,
Or rather marked him as preferred for Heaven.
My Boy! my own broad-browed, precocious Boy!
Thy Body was a Casket, fair but frail—
No helm hadst thou—no warrior's coat of mail—
The golden Chain, that linked it to thy Soul,
Was weak, that it might snap, ere came annoy;
Early the garment dropt, soon won the goal.
Hence as I watched thee, resting midst the strife,
Beauty on thy calm features set her seal,
The Beauty of the Dying;—nay, the Life
Of Hope, to Victory making sure appeal,
Bringing the Distant near,
And of the Future saying—‘It is here.’
viii
A Poet, in his Youth,
Deluded, irked with pain,
Would importune in vain
The gates of Power, the shrines of Truth.
Answered not they to his austere demand:
They knew not Freedom's Angel. Hence he sought
To Winds and Waves,..if they could understand,
And might for him interpret his great Thought.
They told him, they were homeless and unchartered;
The Forests and the Clouds had conscious voice,
And Liberty, she was their playmate ever;
And the proud Sun did vaunt of Light unbartered.
So, from an Ocean-cliff, with wild endeavour,
(Glad to find reason wherefore to rejoice,)
He deemed, by virtue of strong Love, to send
The Spirit of his Being into all
The permeant Elements,—and therewith blend,
As if Creation were redeemed from thrall;
And, Nature! thus, through thee,
Sport with the phantast alien, Liberty.
Deluded, irked with pain,
Would importune in vain
The gates of Power, the shrines of Truth.
Answered not they to his austere demand:
They knew not Freedom's Angel. Hence he sought
To Winds and Waves,..if they could understand,
And might for him interpret his great Thought.
They told him, they were homeless and unchartered;
The Forests and the Clouds had conscious voice,
And Liberty, she was their playmate ever;
And the proud Sun did vaunt of Light unbartered.
So, from an Ocean-cliff, with wild endeavour,
(Glad to find reason wherefore to rejoice,)
He deemed, by virtue of strong Love, to send
The Spirit of his Being into all
The permeant Elements,—and therewith blend,
As if Creation were redeemed from thrall;
And, Nature! thus, through thee,
Sport with the phantast alien, Liberty.
Yes; thou to her art alien, Liberty!
Maternal Nature knows not thee!
Clouds, Woods and Waves and Winds,
Necessity still binds;
Only the Soul is free!
Only the Soul, self-knowing,
That, by pure Intuition,
Contemplates, rapt and glowing,
The Image and the Vision
Of beatifick Truth,
And feels the wings regrowing
Of her eternal Youth!
Maternal Nature knows not thee!
Clouds, Woods and Waves and Winds,
Necessity still binds;
Only the Soul is free!
Only the Soul, self-knowing,
That, by pure Intuition,
Contemplates, rapt and glowing,
The Image and the Vision
Of beatifick Truth,
And feels the wings regrowing
Of her eternal Youth!
ix
Larger than all she sees,
The human soul divine!
She clasps, as in a scrine,
All modes, and all degrees.
How infinite is her capacity,
That can embrace their Beings in her own;
And with herself affirmeth them to be,
Herself uncomprehended, and alone!
Marvellous Powers in her close-folded rest;
Conscience and Will, far deeper and more high,
Than Consciousness, still as Eternity,
Till violated Law to wrath awakes—
And Faculties, acknowledging behest,
Two worlds which limits, due distinction makes;—
Functions—of Reason, generating Forms
Grasping all Time,—of wise Intelligence,
Which maugre Sin and Evil, War and Storms,
Plants Order amid Chaos,—and the Sense;
With all the pregnant changes,
O'er which the excursive mind for ever ranges.
The human soul divine!
She clasps, as in a scrine,
All modes, and all degrees.
How infinite is her capacity,
That can embrace their Beings in her own;
And with herself affirmeth them to be,
Herself uncomprehended, and alone!
Marvellous Powers in her close-folded rest;
Conscience and Will, far deeper and more high,
Than Consciousness, still as Eternity,
Till violated Law to wrath awakes—
And Faculties, acknowledging behest,
Two worlds which limits, due distinction makes;—
Functions—of Reason, generating Forms
Grasping all Time,—of wise Intelligence,
Which maugre Sin and Evil, War and Storms,
Plants Order amid Chaos,—and the Sense;
With all the pregnant changes,
O'er which the excursive mind for ever ranges.
Yet what art thou, my Soul?
Art thou not even I?
I whose wide energy
Contains the mystick whole?
The Comprehending but Uncomprehended!
Yet whence the Law that even thus am I?
And ever by that Law am thus attended?
O'erruling, circling, as the Earth, thou, Sky!
Our God is in the Heavens! his types are they—
And His includes our Spirits, as his hand,
In its deep hollow, holds the seas and hills—
Art thou not even I?
I whose wide energy
Contains the mystick whole?
The Comprehending but Uncomprehended!
Yet whence the Law that even thus am I?
And ever by that Law am thus attended?
O'erruling, circling, as the Earth, thou, Sky!
Our God is in the Heavens! his types are they—
And His includes our Spirits, as his hand,
In its deep hollow, holds the seas and hills—
x
Being of Beings! 'tis his Law alway
All Liberty—all Love—all Life, fulfils.
Our Being is the Word of his Command:
His Being is the Law to what he doth,
Pure Power and Being, Will most absolute!
Whose gracious Word is Law and Being both,
Coeval Image! Oracle ne'er mute!
By Angels seen Thou art,
Heard in the beatings of the human heart!
All Liberty—all Love—all Life, fulfils.
Our Being is the Word of his Command:
His Being is the Law to what he doth,
Pure Power and Being, Will most absolute!
Whose gracious Word is Law and Being both,
Coeval Image! Oracle ne'er mute!
By Angels seen Thou art,
Heard in the beatings of the human heart!
Weep thou no more, O Mother of my Child!
For who by Grief would be beguiled,
Who knows the Eternal One,
THE FATHER OF THE SON?
On him He aye hath smiled!
—Thine was a touching saying,
That, if thy other Dear Ones
Should far outlive Life's Maying,
Yet, even when we are sere Ones,
Our Boy will alway be,
As when thou sawst him playing,
A very Child to thee.
For who by Grief would be beguiled,
Who knows the Eternal One,
THE FATHER OF THE SON?
On him He aye hath smiled!
—Thine was a touching saying,
That, if thy other Dear Ones
Should far outlive Life's Maying,
Yet, even when we are sere Ones,
Our Boy will alway be,
As when thou sawst him playing,
A very Child to thee.
Eternity on him
The seal of Childhood yet
For ever now hath set—
Impression nought shall dim!
Of such is Heaven's kingdom—there our Child
Is with the Father, and in God self known,
No changing Object, from itself exiled,
No mortal Body, poisoned by its zone—
But, in his Self Identity secure,
No limits apprehends save the Divine,
Whereto he is remanded, at the shrine
Of his Creator, ministering praise,
With the Incarnate, glorified and pure,
Clothed with his brightness, living in his rays.
For there the Spirit maketh of one kind,
And equally illustrious all that is;
Object perceived and the perceiving Mind,
One in the very plenitude of bliss—
Where God in his own Son
Beholds himself—reflected in that One!
The seal of Childhood yet
For ever now hath set—
Impression nought shall dim!
Of such is Heaven's kingdom—there our Child
Is with the Father, and in God self known,
No changing Object, from itself exiled,
No mortal Body, poisoned by its zone—
But, in his Self Identity secure,
xi
Whereto he is remanded, at the shrine
Of his Creator, ministering praise,
With the Incarnate, glorified and pure,
Clothed with his brightness, living in his rays.
For there the Spirit maketh of one kind,
And equally illustrious all that is;
Object perceived and the perceiving Mind,
One in the very plenitude of bliss—
Where God in his own Son
Beholds himself—reflected in that One!
Great Mystery of Being!
Which—in expanding—bounds,
Condenses and immounds—
Unseen, and yet all-seeing!
Oft times have I the Revelation wrought,
In act contemplative, absorbing time,
Too deep for Consciousness, too high for Thought,
Profound as Hades, and as Heaven sublime.
It hath o'erwhelmed me as a mighty flood,
And so baptized me with pure element—
It hath upborne me like a fiery car,
Or heavenly ichor fused into my blood,
That gave me mighty power to soar afar,
Not needing wings, by spiritual ascent.
Then felt I, Man was godlike, and his Heart
An Ark of Covenant, a holy Place,
Whence if awhile the Veil were drawn apart,
He might behold his Maker face to face.
O! then the Soul, I knew,
Immortal, Truth's great witness, herself true!
Which—in expanding—bounds,
Condenses and immounds—
Unseen, and yet all-seeing!
Oft times have I the Revelation wrought,
In act contemplative, absorbing time,
Too deep for Consciousness, too high for Thought,
Profound as Hades, and as Heaven sublime.
It hath o'erwhelmed me as a mighty flood,
And so baptized me with pure element—
It hath upborne me like a fiery car,
Or heavenly ichor fused into my blood,
That gave me mighty power to soar afar,
Not needing wings, by spiritual ascent.
Then felt I, Man was godlike, and his Heart
An Ark of Covenant, a holy Place,
Whence if awhile the Veil were drawn apart,
He might behold his Maker face to face.
O! then the Soul, I knew,
Immortal, Truth's great witness, herself true!
xii
Father of Spirits! on my bended knee,
My Soul in worship, thankfully,
Acknowledgeth that Thou
Herself hast made her know,
And know herself in Thee!
—I thank Thee for the Assurance,
That Thou hast in thy keeping,
Where Grief hath no inurance,
The Child for whom we are weeping!
I thank Thee, who canst save,
For Faith and strong Endurance,
Triumphant o'er the grave!
My Soul in worship, thankfully,
Acknowledgeth that Thou
Herself hast made her know,
And know herself in Thee!
—I thank Thee for the Assurance,
That Thou hast in thy keeping,
Where Grief hath no inurance,
The Child for whom we are weeping!
I thank Thee, who canst save,
For Faith and strong Endurance,
Triumphant o'er the grave!
J. A. H.
14 March, 1835.
| The Descent into Hell | |