The Heavens are our riddle; and the sea,
Forested earth, the grassy rustling plain,
Snows, rains, and thunders. Yea, and even we
Before ourselves stand ominous. In vain!
The stars still march their way, the sea still rolls,
The forests wave, the plain drinks in the sun,
And we stand silent, naked,—with tremulous, souls,—
Before our...
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Fair is each budding thing the garden shows,
From spring’s frail crocus to the latest bloom
Of fading autumn. Every wind that blows
Across that glowing tract sips rare perfume
From all the tangled blossoms tossing there;—
Soft winds, they fain would linger long, nor any farther fare.The morning-glories ripple o’er the hedge
And... -
The Heart soars up like a bird
From a nest of care;
Up, up to a larger sky,
To a softer air.
No eye can measure its flight
And no hand can tame;
It mounts in beauty and light,
In music and flame.
Of all the changes of Time
There is none like this;
The heart soars up like a bird
At the stroke of... -
Say, in a hut of mean estate
A light just glimmers and then is gone,
Nature is seen to hesitate,—
Put forth and then retract her pawn;Say, in the alembic of an eye
Haughty is mixed with poor and low;
Say, Truth herself is not so high
But Error laughs to see her so;Say, all that strength failed in its trust;...
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Thou hast evil
And given place to the devil;
Yet so cunningly thou concealest
The thing which thou feelest,
That no eye espieth it,
Satan himself denieth it.
Go where it chooseth thee,
There is none that accuseth thee;
Neither foe nor lover
Will the wrong uncover;
The world’s breath raiseth thee,
And thy... -
PUFFED up with luring to her knees
The rabbits from the blackberries,
Quaint little satyrs, and shy and mute,
That limped reluctant to the flute,
She needs must seek the forest’s womb
And pipe up tigers from green gloom.Grouped round the dreaming oaten quill
Those sumptuous savages were still,
Rich spectral beasts... -
Blow softly, thrush, upon the hush
That makes the least leaf loud,
Blow, wild of heart, remote, apart
From all the vocal crowd,
Apart, remote, a spirit note
That dances meltingly afloat,
Blow faintly, thrush!
And blind the green-hid waterfall
I heated for its beauty, and all
The unloved vernal rapture and flush,
... -
Though Winter come with dripping skies,
And laden winds and strong,
Yet I ’ll read summer in her eyes
Whose voice is summer’s song.Who grieves because the world is old,
Or cares how long it last,
If no gray threads are in our gold,
The shade our marbles cast,How, creeping near, we may not see?
Time’s heirs... -
Something, it may be, you and I
In some deserted yard will lie
Where Memory fades away;
Caring no more for Love his dreams,
Busy with new and alien themes,
The saints and sages say.But let our graves be side by side,
So idlers may at evening tide
Pause there a moment’s space:
“Ah, they were lovers who lie here;
... -
Not least, ’t is ever my delight
To drink the early morning light;
To take the air upon my tongue
And taste it while the day is young.
So let my solace be the breath
Of morning, when I move to death.