按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
Then my heart it grew ashen and sober
As the leaves that were crisped and sere
As the leaves that were withering and sere
And I cried 〃It was surely October
On _this_ very night of last year；
That I journeyed I journeyed down here！
That I brought a dread burden down here
On this night； of all nights in the year；
Ah； what demon has tempted me here？
Well I know； now； this dim lake of Auber
This misty mid region of Weir：
Well I know； now； this dank tarn of Auber
This ghoul…haunted woodland of Weir。〃
1847。
~~~ End of Text ~~~
TO HELEN
I saw thee once once only years ago：
I must not say how many but not many。
It was a July midnight； and from out
A full…orbed moon； that； like thine own soul； soaring；
Sought a precipitate pathway up through heaven；
There fell a silvery…silken veil of light；
With quietude； and sultriness； and slumber；
Upon the upturned faces of a thousand
Roses that grew in an enchanted garden；
Where no wind dared to stir； unless on tiptoe
Fell on the upturn'd faces of these roses
That gave out； in return for the love…light；
Their odorous souls in an ecstatic death
Fell on the upturn'd faces of these roses
That smiled and died in this parterre； enchanted
By thee； and by the poetry of thy presence。
Clad all in white； upon a violet bank
I saw thee half reclining； while the moon
Fell on the upturn'd faces of the roses；
And on thine own； upturn'd… alas； in sorrow！
Was it not Fate； that； on this July midnight…
Was it not Fate； （whose name is also Sorrow；）
That bade me pause before that garden…gate；
To breathe the incense of those slumbering roses？
No footstep stirred： the hated world an slept；
Save only thee and me。 （Oh； Heaven！… oh； God！
How my heart beats in coupling those two words！）
Save only thee and me。 I paused… I looked…
And in an instant all things disappeared。
（Ah； bear in mind this garden was enchanted！）
The pearly lustre of the moon went out：
The mossy banks and the meandering paths；
The happy flowers and the repining trees；
Were seen no more： the very roses' odors
Died in the arms of the adoring airs。
All… all expired save thee… save less than thou：
Save only the divine light in thine eyes…
Save but the soul in thine uplifted eyes。
I saw but them… they were the world to me！
I saw but them… saw only them for hours；
Saw only them until the moon went down。
What wild heart…histories seemed to he enwritten
Upon those crystalline； celestial spheres！
How dark a woe； yet how sublime a hope！
How silently serene a sea of pride！
How daring an ambition； yet how deep…
How fathomless a capacity for love！
But now； at length； dear Dian sank from sight；
Into a western couch of thunder…cloud；
And thou； a ghost； amid the entombing trees
Didst glide away。 Only thine eyes remained；
They would not go… they never yet have gone；
Lighting my lonely pathway home that night；
They have not left me （as my hopes have） since；
They follow me… they lead me through the years。
They are my ministers yet I their slave。
Their office is to illumine and enkindle
My duty； to be saved by their bright light；
And purified in their electric fire；
And sanctified in their elysian fire。
They fill my soul with Beauty （which is Hope）；
And are far up in Heaven the stars I kneel to
In the sad； silent watches of my night；
While even in the meridian glare of day
I see them still two sweetly scintillant
Venuses； unextinguished by the sun！
~~~ End of Text ~~~
ANNABEL LEE。
It was many and many a year ago；
In a kingdom by the sea；
That a maiden lived whom you may know
By the name of ANNABEL LEE； …
And this maiden she lived with no other thought
Than to love and be loved by me。
_I_ was a child and _She_ was a child；
In this kingdom by the sea；
But we loved with a love that was more than love …
I and my ANNABEL LEE …
With a love that the wing閐 seraphs of Heaven
Coveted her and me。
And this was the reason that； long ago；
In this kingdom by the sea；
A wind blew out of a cloud by night
Chilling my ANNABEL LEE；
So that her high…born kinsmen came
And bore her away from me；
To shut her up； in a sepulchre
In this kingdom by the sea。
The angels； not half so happy in Heaven；
Went envying her and me；
Yes！ that was the reason （as all men know；
In this kingdom by the sea）
That the wind came out of the cloud； chilling
And killing my ANNABEL LEE。
But our love it was stronger by far than the love
Of those who were older than we …
Of many far wiser than we …
And neither the angels in Heaven above
Nor the demons down under the sea
Can ever dissever my soul from the soul
Of the beautiful ANNABEL LEE： …
For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams
Of the beautiful ANNABEL LEE；
And the stars never rise but I see the bright eyes
Of the beautiful ANNABEL LEE；
And so； all the night…tide； I lie down by the side
Of my darling； my darling； my life and my bride
In her sepulchre there by the sea …
In her tomb by the side of the sea。
1849。
~~~ End of Text ~~~
A VALENTINE。
For her this rhyme is penned； whose luminous eyes；
Brightly expressive as the twins of Loeda；
Shall find her own sweet name； that； nestling lies
Upon the page； enwrapped from every reader。
Search narrowly the lines！ they hold a treasure
Divine a talisman an amulet
That must be worn _at heart_。 Search well the measure
The words the syllables！ Do not forget
The trivialest point； or you may lose your labor！
And yet there is in this no Gordian knot
Which one might not undo without a sabre；
If one could merely comprehend the plot。
Enwritten upon the leaf where now are peering
Eyes scintillating soul； there lie _perdus_
Three eloquent words oft uttered in the hearing
Of poets； by poets as the name is a poet's； too。
Its letters； although naturally lying
Like the knight Pinto Mendez Ferdinando
Still form a synonym for Truth Cease trying！
You will not read the riddle； though you do the best _you_ can do。
1846。
＇To discover the names in this and the following poem read the first
letter of the first line in connection with the second letter of the
second line； the third letter of the third line； the fourth of the fourth
and so on to the end。＇
~~~ End of Text ~~~
AN ENIGMA
〃Seldom we find；〃 says Solomon Don Dunce；
〃Half an idea in the profoundest sonnet。
Through all the flimsy things we see at once
As easily as through a Naples bonnet …
Trash of all trash！ … how _can_ a lady don it？
Yet heavier far than your Petrarchan stuff…
Owl…downy nonsense that the faintest puff
Twirls into trunk…paper the while you con it。〃
And； veritably； Sol is right enough。
The general tuckermanities are arrant
Bubbles … ephemeral and _so_ transparent …
But _this_ is； now； … you may depend upon it …
Stable； opaque； immortal … all by dint
Of the dear names that lie concealed within 't。
1847。
~~~ End of Text ~~~
TO MY MOTHER
Because I feel that； in the Heavens above；
The angels； whispering to one another；
Can find； among their burning terms of love；
None so devotional as that of 〃Mother；〃
Therefore by that dear name I long have called you
You who are more than mother unto me；
And fill my heart of hearts； where Death installed you
In setting my Virginia's spirit free。
My mother my own mother； who died early；
Was but the mother of myself； but you
Are mother to the one I loved so dearly；
And thus are dearer than the mother I knew
By that infinity with which my wife
Was dearer to my soul than its soul…life。
1849。
＇The above was addressed to the poet's mother…in…law； Mrs。 Clemm Ed。＇
~~~ End of Text ~~~
FOR ANNIE
Thank Heaven！ the crisis
The danger is past；
And the lingering illness
Is over at last
And the fever called 〃Living〃
Is conquered at last。
Sadly； I know
I am shorn of my strength；
And no muscle I move
As I lie at full length
But no matter！ I feel
I am better at length。
And I rest so composedly；
Now； in my bed；
That any beholder
Might fancy me dead
Might start at beholding me；
Thinking me dead。
The moaning and groaning；
The sighing and sobbing；
Are quieted now；
With that horrible throbbing
At heart： ah； that horrible；
Horrible throbbing！
The sickness the nausea
The pitiless pain
Have ceased； with the fever
That maddened my brain
With the fever called 〃Living〃
That burned in my brain。
And oh！ of all tortures
_That_ torture the worst
Has abated the terrible
Torture of thirst
For the naphthaline river
Of Passion accurst：
I have drank of a water
That quenches all thirst：
Of a water that flows；
With a lullaby sound；
From a spring but a very few
Feet under ground
From a cavern not very far
Down under ground。
And ah！ let it never
Be foolishly said
That my room it is gloomy
And narrow my bed；
For man never slept
In a different be