Helen Redeemed and Other Poems | Page 2

202
PRESENCE 203
DREAM ANGUISH 204
HYMNIA-BEATRIX 206
LUX E TENEBRIS 207
DUTY 208
WAGES 209
EYE-SERVICE 210
CLOISTER THOUGHTS 211
THE CHAMBER IDYLL 213
EPIGRAMMATA--
THE OLD HOUSE 217
BLUE IRIS 217
THE ROSEBUD 218
SPRING ON THE DOWN 218
SNOWY NIGHT 219
EVENING MOOD 219
THE PARTING 220
DEDICATION OF A BOOK 221
NOTE
Three of the Poems here published have appeared in book form already,
in the Volume called _Songs and Meditations_, long out of print.
HELEN REDEEMED
PROEM
Sing of the end of Troy, and of that flood
Of passion by the blood

Of heroes consecrate, by poet's craft
Hallowed, if that thin waft
Of
godhead blown upon thee stretch thy song
To span such store of
strong
And splendid vision of immortal themes
Late harvested in

dreams,
Albeit long years laid up in tilth. Most meet
Thou sing that
slim and sweet
Fair woman for whose bosom and delight
Paris, as
well he might,
Wrought all the woe, and held her to his cost
And
Troy's, and won and lost
Perforce; for who could look on her or feel

Her near and not dare steal
One hour of her, or hope to hold in bars

Such wonder of the stars
Undimmed? As soon expect to cage the
rose
Of dawn which comes and goes
Fitful, or leash the shadows of
the hills,
Or music of upland rills
As Helen's beauty and not tarnish
it
With thy poor market wit,
Adept to hue the wanton in the wild,

Defile the undefiled!
Yet by the oath thou swearedst, standing high

Where piled rocks testify
The holy dust, and from Therapnai's hold

Over the rippling wold
Didst look upon Amyklai's, where sunrise

First dawned in Helen's eyes,
Take up thy tale, good poet, strain thine
art
To sing her rendered heart,
Given last to him who loved her first,
nor swerved
From loving, but