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Carol and Cadence

New poems: MDCCCCII-MDCCCCVII: By John Payne
Payne, John (1842-1916)

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SONGBIRDS.
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THE BOOK OF DAYS AND NIGHTS.
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THE BOOK OF DAYS AND NIGHTS.
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THE BOOK OF BIRDS.
  
[Ye, that demi-spirits are]
  
THE THRUSH.
  
THE CUCKOO.
  
THE BLACKBIRD.
  
THE NIGHTINGALE.
  
THE LARK.
  
THE HAWFINCH.
  
THE FINCH.
  
THE SWALLOW.
  
THE CUSHAT.
  
THE SEDGE-WARBLER.
  
THE LINNET.
  
WHAT THE WHITETHROAT SANG.
  
THE LORIOT.
  
THE WREN.
  
THE FIELDFARE.
  
THE CROW.
  
THE ROBIN.
  
THE WOODPECKER.
  
BIRDS OF PASSAGE.
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THE BOOK OF BEASTS.
  
THE GROCER'S DOG.
  
THE FISHMONGER'S CAT.
  
THE CARTHORSE.
  
THE ASS.
  
HOUSEHOLD GHOSTS.
  
THE PITY OF IT.
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LONDON VOICES.
  
THE TALE OF TIME.
  
KENSINGTON GARDENS.
  
THE STREETS.
  
WINTER DAWN.
  
SUMMER DAWN.
  
RAIN.
  
LONDON BY NIGHT.
  
VOICES.
  
MAY INTRA MUROS.
  
FOG.
  
MUNDUS SENESCENS.
  
FLOWERS OF NIGHT.
  
THE TELEPHONE HARP.
  
THE BEGGAR.
  
VER IN URBE.
  
ON THE OMNIBUS.
  
THE ALMOND TREE.
  
THE LABURNUM.
  
THE HORSE-CHESTNUT.
  
THE HAWTHORN.
  
SICK LIFE.
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BALLADS AND ROMANCES.
  
THE RIME OF MELISANDE.
  
WANDERERS.
  
NOVEMBER GHOSTS.
  
FLOUTED LOVE.
  
THE DEATH OF HAFIZ.
  
SIR ROSWAL.
  
HER GRAVE.
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THE DEATH OF PAN.
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ANGELS' VISITS.
  
THE WRATH OF VENUS.
  
WIND VOICES.
  
WRECK AND PORT.
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SONNETS.
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MARTYRS OF HISTORY.
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VII. ESAU.
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VIII. HECTOR.
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IX. JULIAN.
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X. CLIVE.
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XI. EDWARD JOHN EYRE.
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XII. TOMAS ZUMALACARREGUI.
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XIII. QUI CARENT VATE SACRO.
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MISCELLANEOUS SONNETS.
  
FRANZ LISZT.
  
MATTHEW ARNOLD.
  
BERKELEY.
  
CHARLES ALLSTON COLLINS.
  
RICHARD FRANCIS BURTON.
  
ST. AMBROSE'S PRAYER.
  
THE DAY'S END.
  
THE INSULTS OF THE VULGAR.
  
SCORN AND SYMPATHY.
  
IN THE CRUCIBLE.
  
THE LATTER DAYS.
  
ULTIMA RATIO.
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TIME AND TIDE.
  
A NEW YEAR'S CHIME.
  
GARDEN DAYS.
  
THE POETS OF THE FRENCH RENAISSANCE.
  
COWPER.
  
ADAM AND EVE.
  
FATUI AMBO.
  
SEX AND SEX.
  
DISEASE AND REMEDY.
  
THIS AND THAT.
  
THE MIGHT-HAVE-BEEN.
  
WHO KNOWS?
  
ON THE BERNINA.
  
AT SILVAPLANA.
  
WILLOW-SONG.
  
COUNTERPARTS.
  
LOVE'S END.
  
WELTSCHMERZ.
  
ALAS!
  
POLARITIES.
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THE MINSTREL'S BOOK.
  
SOLUS IN GREGE.
  
EGOMET.
  
SONG-STRESS.
  
SONG-TIDE.
  
SONGS' END.
  
THE POET'S LOT.
  
NOT ALL IN VAIN.
  
POPULO.
  
QUIA AMORE LANGUEO.
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IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN OF GOLD, THEY THOUGHT.
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FORSITAN.
  
CROSS-PURPOSES.
  
THE LIGHTS OF HEAVEN.
  
MARCH-MUSIC.
  
HORAE.
  
ANIMA CUM ANIMO.
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SONGS OF THE MORROW.
  
INVOCATION.
  
VOX CLAMANTIS.
  
THE SETTING SUN.
  
IN VAIN.
  
ELDORADO.
  
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DE PROFUNDIS.
  
THE TWO GATES.
  
THE FASHION OF THIS WORLD.
  
NATURE AND HER LOVER.
  
KING OF DREAMS.
  
NOX GRAVIDA.
  
RISUS SOLAMEN.
  
YOU AND I.
  
PACEM APPELLANT.
  
THE BREAD OF LIFE.
  
TENEBRÆ.
  
DREAM AND DAWN.
  
ETERNAL QUESTION.
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SAT ME LUSISTIS.
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DIIS VENTURIS.
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SOUL'S TWILIGHT.
  
AN OLD REFRAIN.
  
ON THE BEACH.
  
A LAST TOAST.

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THE MIGHT-HAVE-BEEN.

They lapse and look not back,
Our hours of gold and grey;
Thought ceases from their track:
But that which might one day
Have been for us, alack!
We cannot cast away.
Pain, passion, fear and fret
Flit from us on Time's wings;
We owe the Past no debt
Of glad rememberings:
But thought may not forget
The unaccomplished things.
The occasions cast aside,
The chances met and missed,
Hopes slain of sloth or pride,
The tale of Had-we-wist,
These all with us abide
And fret us at their list.
The loves we might have had,
If eyes had not been blind,
The dark hours, that might glad
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Have been, had sense inclined,
How sad it is, how sad
To call these all to mind!
There wanted but a word
Between my love and me,
There wanted but a bird
On yonder leafless tree,
And Life might yet have stirred
With hope and ecstasy.
A windwaft in the air,
A touch of hand and hand,
Of Winter's desert bare
Had made a summer land;
Foul might have turned to Fair
And Life been bright and bland.
A glint of summer-sheen
Upon Thought's frozen rill,
And Life with flower and green
Had blossomed at Love's will.
Ah me, the Might-have-been,
How hard it is to kill!
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