COLIN once a shepherd boy, Lithe and sweet and hobbledehoy, Crowned with leaves that a chance hand chooses From a bank of dew-wet roses; Early, early morning singing, Up the fields like a bright bird winging; And over the hills in the wake of dawn, The cool shrill notes of a piping faun. O, to lie in the grass with Pan — Large, goat-heeled, delightful man! Hear, like wind in a forest walking, The silver murmur of his talking. All at once the flowers are brighter, All at once the blue is lighter, All at once you find that over Your head, the bees talk in the clover — Till, a sudden shower of rain, His laughter dies down the golden grain. Gone! In market-place and forum, Where the elders meet in quorum, You're a great man, Colin, now, Portly shank and bent of brow. Argosies from Lydian waters Bring rich spoil to deck your daughters, And your good wife takes a pride In her mantle Tyrian dyed. Gold, for all the gold of sunrise! Tyrian dress for purple dawn skies! And for faun pipes sweet and bitter, Laggard feast and servile titter; What would you give to be a man? Once more in the grass with goat-heeled Pan, | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE CONFESSIONAL by ROBERT BROWNING RUNNING THE BATTERIES by HERMAN MELVILLE PEARLS OF THE FAITH: 17. THE BESTOWER by EDWIN ARNOLD MARCH MADNESS ON EDGEWATER HILL by BEULAH ALLYNE BELL THE LOVE SONNETS OF PROTEUS: 106. THE SUBLIME: 1 by WILFRID SCAWEN BLUNT |