Lyrics of the heart With other poems. By Alaric A. Watts. With forty-one engravings on steel |
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LINES WRITTEN ON A BLANK PAGE OF THE
POEMS OF WORDSWORTH. |
 | Lyrics of the heart |  |
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LINES WRITTEN ON A BLANK PAGE OF THE POEMS OF WORDSWORTH.
High Priest of the Nine! Poet, Prophet, and Sage,What deep lessons of wisdom are taught in thy page!—
There, the young and the old, sad and mirthful, may find
Each, reflected in sunshine, some “mood of his mind;”
There, the simple may learn with kind feelings to glow,
And the wise may discover how little they know!
There, the broken in spirit may find solace and balm,
And the tempest-tossed bosom be taught to grow calm;
The rich, there are treasures that gold cannot buy;
The poor, that there is but one rank in the sky;
The guileless, their whiteness of spirit to keep;
And the guilty, that vengeance not always will sleep!
There, the gentle enthusiast whose heart hath been sown
With pure poesy's seeds, some soft feeling may own,
Some loved dream, in his heart cherished fondly and long,
That he wanted the science to weave into song!
There, the Pilgrim of Nature in fancy may stray,
Where thy silver-bright Duddon glides calmly away,
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Till his thoughts are as placid and pure as its face:
There, the Dreamer who tracks the swift footsteps of Time,
And for ever would muse 'mid his ruins sublime,
Who delights to the deeds of past ages to turn,
Will find lore that his spirit has thirsted to learn:
From the song of proud Dion, so solemn and sweet,
To thy “silver-white” Doe and her Sabbath retreat!
Each high theme of the Lyre hath awoke at thy call,
Every chord hast thou touched, and drawn music from all!
1824.
| Lyrics of the heart | |