Collected Poems: With Autobiographical and Critical Fragments By Frederic W. H. Myers: Edited by his Wife Eveleen Myers |
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ASHRIDGE |
 | Collected Poems: With Autobiographical and Critical Fragments |  |
373
ASHRIDGE
On this great home if change must fall,
Let change itself come soft and fair;
Leave these cloud-feathery skies, and all
The abandonment of upland air;
Leave ancient forest, ancient lawn,
Historic ash-trees, beechen shade;
Still let the slanted shafts of dawn
Light the low fern from glade to glade.
Let change itself come soft and fair;
Leave these cloud-feathery skies, and all
The abandonment of upland air;
Leave ancient forest, ancient lawn,
Historic ash-trees, beechen shade;
Still let the slanted shafts of dawn
Light the low fern from glade to glade.
No more the Churchmen, sad and slow,
Chaunt in dim dusk their crooning song;
Nor captive queen thro' lattice low
Views a wild realm of wrath and wrong:
To these Inheritors belong
A sure dominion, master art;
For moat and wall they choose the strong
Ascendant of the nobler heart.
Chaunt in dim dusk their crooning song;
Nor captive queen thro' lattice low
Views a wild realm of wrath and wrong:
To these Inheritors belong
A sure dominion, master art;
For moat and wall they choose the strong
Ascendant of the nobler heart.
And if sometimes that heart should quail,
Half doubtful of high task begun;
Beholding hallowed landmarks fail,
Dear hopes evanish one by one;—
Yet best shall lead who best have led;—
Those thro' our chaos surest steer
Whose fathers' bygone deeds have bred
Imperious Honour, flouting Fear.
Half doubtful of high task begun;
Beholding hallowed landmarks fail,
Dear hopes evanish one by one;—
374
Those thro' our chaos surest steer
Whose fathers' bygone deeds have bred
Imperious Honour, flouting Fear.
“By her own strength can Virtue live?
Self-poised can Hope wide-winging soar?”
List! for our deepening age shall give
Some answer surer than of yore;—
Stand fast, high hearts, thro' woe and weal;
Watch thro' the night, if watch ye may;
Wait, till the rifted heavens reveal
Unheard-of morning, mystic day.
Self-poised can Hope wide-winging soar?”
List! for our deepening age shall give
Some answer surer than of yore;—
Stand fast, high hearts, thro' woe and weal;
Watch thro' the night, if watch ye may;
Wait, till the rifted heavens reveal
Unheard-of morning, mystic day.
| Collected Poems: With Autobiographical and Critical Fragments | |