Poems By Edward Quillinan. With a Memoir by William Johnston |
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A MOST RICH AND PERFECTLY DEFINED RAINBOW ON THE OCEAN. |
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39
A MOST RICH AND PERFECTLY DEFINED RAINBOW ON THE OCEAN.
One
lady on the tall white cliff!
One boat upon the sea!
That little solitary skiff
Why watcheth Emma Lee?
One boat upon the sea!
That little solitary skiff
Why watcheth Emma Lee?
The heavens with sulphurous clouds are black:
As black the billowy plain;
And wildly flies the stormy rack
Above the stormy main.
As black the billowy plain;
And wildly flies the stormy rack
Above the stormy main.
The winged ships their wings have spread,
For safety far from land;
The sea-birds from the sea have fled
For shelter, to the strand.
For safety far from land;
The sea-birds from the sea have fled
For shelter, to the strand.
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Then why intent on yonder shell
That scuds before the gale?
Why like a lone coast sentinel,
Stands there that lady pale?
That scuds before the gale?
Why like a lone coast sentinel,
Stands there that lady pale?
Perhaps a brother's life to threat,
Those mighty waters rise;
Perhaps some object dearer yet,
The treasure of her eyes!
Those mighty waters rise;
Perhaps some object dearer yet,
The treasure of her eyes!
And as the waters heave and break,
Her breast keeps fearful time;
Her very heart-strings all awake
To that tremendous chime.
Her breast keeps fearful time;
Her very heart-strings all awake
To that tremendous chime.
And on that cliff, so far above,
She stands in beauty pale,
To be the beacon-light of love,
To guide his daring sail.
She stands in beauty pale,
To be the beacon-light of love,
To guide his daring sail.
No brother in that lonely boat
Is menaced by the strife;
No cherish'd lover there afloat,
Fights with the surge for life.
Is menaced by the strife;
No cherish'd lover there afloat,
Fights with the surge for life.
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Her brow is pale with fear and hope,
With holy hope and fear,
Which high as heaven direct their scope,
While humbly trembling here.
With holy hope and fear,
Which high as heaven direct their scope,
While humbly trembling here.
That boat to her the type presents
Of man's immortal soul,
Struggling through turbid elements,
The passions—to its goal.
Of man's immortal soul,
Struggling through turbid elements,
The passions—to its goal.
The sun is hid behind the clouds,
But is not gone to sleep,
For now a ray has touch'd the shrouds,
A rainbow spans the deep.
But is not gone to sleep,
For now a ray has touch'd the shrouds,
A rainbow spans the deep.
And now the salient canvas shines,
All boldly out in white,
Beneath its glorious arch of lines
Of many-colour'd light.
All boldly out in white,
Beneath its glorious arch of lines
Of many-colour'd light.
Thus from behind the curtain dark
Will flash a beam of grace,
When terrors shake the sinner's bark,
And tears are on his face.
Will flash a beam of grace,
When terrors shake the sinner's bark,
And tears are on his face.
42
And see! the boat is safe within
The strong protecting mole;
So safely from the gulfs of sin,
A refuge finds the soul.
The strong protecting mole;
So safely from the gulfs of sin,
A refuge finds the soul.
But only through the saving woe
Of Him whose precious blood
Supplied the colours of the bow
That spans the clouded flood.
Of Him whose precious blood
Supplied the colours of the bow
That spans the clouded flood.
Ramsgate, Monday Evening, July 30, 1838.
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