The Poems of William Watson

The Poems of William Watson

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Title: The Poems of William Watson
Author: William Watson
Release Date: August 15, 2004 [EBook #13179]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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THE POEMS OF WILLIAM WATSON

New York MACMILLAN AND CO. AND LONDON 1893

Norwood Press J.S. Cushing & Co.--Berwick & Smith. Boston, Mass., U.S.A.

CONTENTS
MISCELLANEOUS-- PRELUDE AUTUMN WORLD-STRANGENESS "WHEN BIRDS WERE SONGLESS" THE MOCK SELF "THY VOICE FROM INMOST DREAMLAND CALLS" IN LALEHAM CHURCHYARD THE FLIGHT OF YOUTH "NAY, BID ME NOT MY CARES TO LEAVE" A CHILD'S HAIR THE KEY-BOARD "SCENTLESS FLOW'RS I BRING THEE" ON LANDOR'S "HELLENICS" To ---- ON EXAGGERATED DEFERENCE TO FOREIGN LITERARY OPINION ENGLAND TO IRELAND MENSIS LACRIMARUM "UNDER THE DARK AND PINY STEEP" THE BLIND SUMMIT TO LORD TENNYSON SKETCH OF A POLITICAL CHARACTER ART MAXIMS THE GLIMPSE THE BALLAD OF THE "BRITAIN'S PRIDE" LINES THE RAVEN'S SHADOW LUX PERDITA ENGLAND AND HER COLONIES HISTORY THE EMPTY NEST IRELAND THE LUTE-PLAYER "AND THESE--ARE THESE INDEED THE END" THE RUSS AT KARA LIBERTY REJECTED LIFE WITHOUT HEALTH TO A FRIEND, CHAFING AT ENFORCED IDLENESS FROM INTERRUPTED HEALTH "WELL HE SLUMBERS, GREATLY SLAIN" AN EPISTLE TO AUSTIN DOBSON TO EDWARD CLODD TO EDWARD DOWDEN FELICITY VER TENEBROSUM, SONNETS OF MARCH AND APRIL 1885-- THE SOUDANESE HASHEEN THE ENGLISH DEAD GORDON GORDON _(concluded)_ THE TRUE PATRIOTISM RESTORED ALLEGIANCE THE POLITICAL LUMINARY FOREIGN MENACE HOME-ROOTEDNESS OUR EASTERN TREASURE REPORTED CONCESSIONS NIGHTMARE LAST WORD: TO THE COLONIES EPIGRAMS WORDSWORTH'S GRAVE LACHRYM? MUSARUM DEDICATION OF "THE DREAM OF MAN" THE DREAM OF MAN SHELLEY'S CENTENARY A GOLDEN HOUR AT THE GRAVE OF CHARLES LAMB LINES IN A FLYLEAF OF "CHRISTABEL" LINES TO OUR NEW CENSOR RELUCTANT SUMMER THE GREAT MISGIVING "THE THINGS THAT ARE MORE EXCELLENT" BEAUTY'S METEMPSYCHOSIS ENGLAND MY MOTHER NIGHT THE FUGITIVE IDEAL "THE FORESTERS" SONG COLUMBUS THE PRINCE'S QUEST ANGELO THE QUESTIONER THE RIVER CHANGED VOICES A SUNSET A SONG OF THREE SINGERS LOVE'S ASTROLOGY THREE FLOWERS THREE ETERNITIES LOVE OUTLOVED VANISHINGS BEETHOVEN GOD-SEEKING SKYFARING

MISCELLANEOUS

PRELUDE
The mighty poets from their flowing store Dispense like casual alms the careless ore; Through throngs of men their lonely way they go, Let fall their costly thoughts, nor seem to know.-- Not mine the rich and showering hand, that strews The facile largess of a stintless Muse. A fitful presence, seldom tarrying long, Capriciously she touches me to song-- Then leaves me to lament her flight in vain, And wonder will she ever come again.

AUTUMN
Thou burden of all songs the earth hath sung, Thou retrospect in Time's reverted eyes, Thou metaphor of everything that dies, That dies ill-starred, or dies beloved and young And therefore blest and wise,-- O be less beautiful, or be less brief, Thou tragic splendour, strange, and full of fear! In vain her pageant shall the Summer rear? At thy mute signal, leaf by golden leaf, Crumbles the gorgeous year.
Ah, ghostly as remembered mirth, the tale Of Summer's bloom, the legend of the Spring! And thou, too, flutterest an impatient wing, Thou presence yet more fugitive and frail, Thou most unbodied thing, Whose very being is thy going hence, And passage and departure all thy theme; Whose life doth still a splendid dying seem, And thou at height of thy magnificence A figment and a dream.
Stilled is the virgin rapture that was June, And cold is August's panting heart of fire; And in the storm-dismantled forest-choir For thine own elegy thy winds attune Their wild and wizard lyre: And poignant grows the charm of thy decay, The pathos of thy beauty, and the sting, Thou parable of greatness vanishing! For me, thy woods of gold and skies of grey With speech fantastic ring.
For me, to dreams resigned, there come and go, 'Twixt mountains draped and hooded night and morn, Elusive notes in wandering wafture borne, From undiscoverable lips that blow An immaterial horn; And spectral seem thy winter-boding trees, Thy ruinous bowers and drifted foliage wet-- Past and Future in sad bridal met, O voice of everything that perishes, And soul of all regret!

WORLD-STRANGENESS
Strange the world about me lies, Never yet familiar grown-- Still disturbs me with surprise, Haunts me like a face half known.
In this house with starry dome, Floored with gemlike plains and seas, Shall I never feel at home, Never wholly be at ease?
On from room to room I stray, Yet my Host can ne'er espy, And I know not to this day Whether guest or captive I.
So, between the