THE poplars and the ancient elms Make murmurous noises high in air; The noonday sunlight overwhelms The brown cicalas basking there; But here the shade is deep, and sweet With new-mown grass and lentisk-shoots, And far away the shepherds meet With noisy fifes and flutes. Their clamour dies upon the ear; So now bring forth the rolls of song, Mouth the rich cadences, nor fear Your voice may do the poet wrong; Life up the chalice to our lips, -- Yet see, before we venture thus, A stream of red libation drips To great Theocritus. We are in Sicily to-day; And, as the honied metre flows, Battos and Corydon, at play, Will lose the syrinx, gain the rose; Soft Amaryllis, too, will bind Dark violets round her shining hair, And in the fountain laugh to find Her sun-browned face so fair. We are in Sicily to-day; Ah! foolish world, too sadly wise, Why didst thou e'er let fade away Those ancient, innocent ecstasies? Along the glens, in chequered flight, Hither to-day the nymphs shall flee, And Pan forsake for our delight The tomb of Helice. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...A BOOK OF AIRS: SONG 12. A RENUNCIATION by THOMAS CAMPION POPULARITY by THOMAS BAILEY ALDRICH A NOVEL OF HIGH LIFE by THOMAS HAYNES BAYLY TO ENGLISH CONNOISSEURS by WILLIAM BLAKE THE CANTERBURY TALES: THE MONK'S TALE by GEOFFREY CHAUCER BOSTON NURSERY RHYME: RHYME FOR A GEOLOGICAL BABY by FLAVIUS JOSEPHUS COOK |