ENGLISH POETRY OF THE PART ONE: THE EARLIER NINETEENTH CENTURY 105 SAMUEL ROGERS Here, vanish, as in mist, before a flood 100 (1763-1855) Of bright obscurity, hill, lawn, and wood; There, objects, by the searching beams beA WISH trayed, Come forth, and here retire in purple (1786) shade; Mine be a cot beside the hill. Even the white stems of birch, the cottage A bee-hive's hum shall soothe my ear; white, A willowy brook, that turns a mill, Soften their glare before the mellow With many a fall shall linger near. light; The swallow, oft, beneath my thatch The skiffs, at anchor where with umbrage 5 wide Shall twitter from her clay-built nest; Oft shall the pilgrim lift the latch, Yon chestnuts half the latticed boat-house hide, And share my meal, a welcome guest. Shed from their sides, that face the sun's Around my ivied porch shall spring slant beam, Each fragrant flower that drinks the Strong flakes of radiance on the tremulous dew; 10 stream: And Lucy, at her wheel, shall sing Raised by yon travelling flock, a dusty cloud In russet-gown and apron blue. Mounts from the road, and spreads its The village-church, among the trees, moving shroud; Where first our marriage-vows were The shepherd, all involved in wreaths of given, fire, With merry peals shall swell the breeze, 15 Now shows a shadowy speck, and now is And point with taper spire to Heaven. lost entire. 110 115 WILLIAM WORDSWORTH (1770-1850) From AN EVENING WALK (1787-89) Sunset in the Lake Country How pleasant, as the sun declines, to view The spacious landscape change in form and hue! Into a gradual calm the breezes sink, brink; sleep, And insects clothe, like dust, the glassy deep: And now, on every side, the surface breaks Into blue spots, and slowly lengthening streaks; Here, plots of sparkling water trenble bright 1 120 15 With thousand thousand twinkling points of liglft; There, waves that, hardly weltering, die away, Tip their smooth ridges with a softer ray; And now the whole wide lake in deep repose Is hushed, and like a burnished , mirror glows, 125 Save where, along the shady western marge, Coasts, with industrious oar, the charcoal barge. Of lofty hopes, he to the world went forth A favored being, knowing no desire Which genius did not hallow; 'gainst the taint Of dissolute tongues, and jealousy, and hate, And scorn, — against all enemies prepared, All but neglect. The world, for so it thought, Owed him no service; wherefore he at 20 once LINES 25 LEFT UPON A SEAT IN A YEW-TREE, WHICH STANDS NEAR THE LAKE OF ESTHWAITE, ON A DESOLATE PART OF THE SHORE, COMMANDING A BEAUTIFUL PROSPECT (1795) an 30 Nay, Traveller, rest. This lonely yew tree stands Far from all human dwelling: what if here No sparkling rivulet spread the verdant herb? What if the bee love not these barren boughs?. Yet, if the wind breathe soft, the curling waves, That break against the shore, shall lull thy mind By one soft impulse saved from vacancy. With indignation turned himself away, And with the food of pride sustained his soul In solitude. - Stranger! these gloomy boughs Had charms for him; and here he loved to sit, His only visitants a straggling sheep, The stone-chat, or the glancing sandpiper: And on these barren rocks, with fern and heath, And juniper and thistle, sprinkled o'er, Fixing his downcast eye, he many hour A morbid pleasure nourished, tracing here An emblem of his own unfruitful life: And, lifting up his head, he then would gaze On the more distant scene, - how lovely 'tis Thou seest, and he would gaze till it became Far lovelier, and his heart could not sus tain The beauty, still more beauteous! Nor, that time, When nature had subdued him to herself, Would he forget those beings to whose minds, Warm from the labors of benevolence, 40 The world, and human life, appeared a scene Of kindred loveliness: then he would sigh, Inly disturbed, to think that others felt What he must never feel: and so, lost man! On visionary views would fancy feed, 45 5 35 |