Night slowly stretches o'er the changing skies And killing darkness shrouds the rolling Earth Up to her well-known rock the night-owl hies And wizard hags begin their cursed mirth. A misty cloud bedims the rising moon Few are the stars that cheer the evening sky And dark and gloomy is the night; and soon The light that issues from those stars will die. This night, I deem, the moon is in her spell And fiends have mutter'd incantations dire This night in revelry, the hags of hell Dance in deep cave, around th'infernal fire Ah! bleakly blows the Ocean's stormy blast Grim Water-Sprites bestride the foaming wave, Woe to the hapless bark, the towering mast The careworn sailor finds tonight his Grave! On Ballans lonely moor what sounds were heard! When the chill night brought on the darkness drear And in thy lofty towers lone Villagird! What startling noise came sudden on the ear. I passed at eve the foot of Ben-lide's hill I heard a voice as the sad breeze blew by Starting I listened -- all again was still Nought through the mist could mortal sight descry. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...RHYME FOR A CHILD VIEWING A NAKED VENUS IN A PAINTING by ROBERT BROWNING CHURCH MONUMENTS by GEORGE HERBERT THE NO-LONGER-MERRY ANCIENT MONARCH by FRANKLIN PIERCE ADAMS ONCE IN A WAY by ANTIPHILUS OF BYZANTIUM GOODS TRAIN AT NIGHT by KENNETH H. ASHLEY LATIMER AND RIDLEY, BURNED AT THE STAKE IN OXFORD, 1555 by WILLIAM EDMONSTOUNE AYTOUN WRITTEN, AT THE REQUEST OF A GENTLEMAN, UNDER A .. PICTURE by RICHARD BARNFIELD |