Painter, what is spread before you? 'Tis the great Atlantic Sea! Many-colour'd floor of ocean, where the lights and shadows flee; Waves and wavelets running landward with a sparkle and a song, Crystal green with foam enwoven, bursting, brightly split along; Thousand living shapes of wonder in the clear pools of the rock; Lengths of strand, and seafowl armies rising like a puff of smoke; Drift and tangle on the limit where the wandering water fails; Level faintly-clear horizon, touch'd with clouds and phantom sails,— O come hither! weeks together let us watch the big Atlantic, Blue or purple, green or gurly, dark or shining, smooth or frantic. Far across the tide, slow-heaving, rich autumnal day-light sets; See our crowd of busy row-boats, hear us noisy with our nets, Where the glittering sprats in millions from the rising mesh are stript, Till there scarce is room for rowing, every gunwhale nearly dipt; Gulls around us, flying, dropping, thick in air as flakes of snow, Snatching luckless little fishes in their silvery overflow. Now one streak of western scarlet lingers upon ocean's edge, Now through ripples of the splendour of the moon we swiftly wedge Our loaded bows; the fisher hamlet beacons with domestic light; On the shore the carts and horses wait to travel through the night To a distant city market, while the boatmen sup and sleep, While the firmamental stillness arches o'er the dusky deep, Ever muttering chants and dirges Round its rocks and sandy verges. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE GHOSTS OF THE BUFFALOES by NICHOLAS VACHEL LINDSAY THE ANGEL IN THE HOUSE: BOOK 2. CANTO 8. PRELUDE: THE KISS by COVENTRY KERSEY DIGHTON PATMORE SUMMER NIGHT, RIVERSIDE by SARA TEASDALE GREAT BELL ROLAND; SUGGESTED BY PRESIDENT'S CALL VOLUNTEERS by THEODORE TILTON BEAUTY OF NATURE by HENRY ALFORD THE WORLD AND THE QUIETEST by MATTHEW ARNOLD SPRING SONG by JEAN ANTOINE DE BAIF SONNETS OF MANHOOD: 27. ENGLAND by GEORGE BARLOW (1847-1913) |