• The Props assist the House

    Until the House is built

    And then the Props withdraw

    And adequate, erect,

    The House support itself

    And cease to recollect

    The Auger and the Carpenter —

    Just such a retrospect

    Hath the perfected Life —

    A past of Plank and Nail

    And...

  • The Province of the Saved

    Should be the Art — To save —

    Through Skill obtained in Themselves —

    The Science of the Grave


    No Man can understand

    But He that hath endured

    The Dissolution — in Himself —

    That Man — be qualified


    To qualify Despair

    To Those who...

  • The pungent atom in the Air

    Admits of no debate —

    All that is named of Summer Days

    Relinquished our Estate —


    For what Department of Delight

    As positive are we

    As Limit of Dominion

    Or Dams — of Ecstasy —

  •    THE Queen of Beauty, t'other day

    (As the Elysian journals say).

    To ease herself of all her cares,

    And better carry on affairs;

    By privy-council mov'd above,

    And Cupid minister of love,

    To keep the earth in due obedience,

    Resolv'd to substitute vice-regents;

    To...

  •    IN Celia's arms while bless'd I lay,

    My soul in bliss dissolved away:

    'Tell me,' the charmer cried, 'how well

    'You love your Celia; Strephon, tell.'

    Kissing her glowing, burning cheek,

    'I'll tell,' I cried — but could not speak.

    At length my voice return'd, and she

    ...

  • The rainbow never tells me

    That gust and storm are by,

    Yet is she more convincing

    Than Philosophy.


    My flowers turn from Forums —

    Yet eloquent declare

    What Cato couldn't prove me

    Except the birds were here!

  • The Rat is the concisest Tenant.

    He pays no Rent.

    Repudiates the Obligation —

    On Schemes intent


    Balking our Wit

    To sound or circumvent —

    Hate cannot harm

    A Foe so reticent —

    Neither Decree prohibit him —

    Lawful as Equilibrium.

  • The Red — Blaze — is the Morning —

    The Violet — is Noon —

    The Yellow — Day — is falling —

    And after that — is none —


    But Miles of Sparks — at Evening —

    Reveal the Width that burned —

    The Territory Argent — that

    Never yet — consumed —

  • The reticent volcano keeps

    His never slumbering plan —

    Confided are his projects pink

    To no precarious man.


    If nature will not tell the tale

    Jehovah told to her

    Can human nature not survive

    Without a listener?


    Admonished by her buckled lips

    Let every...

  • The Riddle we can guess

    We speedily despise —

    Not anything is stale so long

    As Yesterday's surprise —