WHY darkly veiled, like mourning bride, Com'st thou, sweet June?—Why dost thou hide Thy glowing charms and lustrous eyes Beneath a cloudy, cold disguise, Fair Nature's bosom chilling? Thy sister, May, gave promise fair Of golden sunshine, balmy air: She, rich in thousand floral charms, Drooped, languished, in thy cruel arms, Thy cold embraces killing. Sweet song-birds! ye who watched and sung Beside the cradle of your young, In bush or bough, oh! oft unfold Your wings, to shield from cruel cold Your downy, callow treasure. The thorn is white with odorous blossom, The water-lily on the bosom Of the lone sleeping lake reposes, The briery banks are starred with roses— Why frown'st thou on our pleasure? The hushing music of the breeze, That sings to sleep the nodding trees, On fruit, and flower, with bitter breath, Sheds nightly down the chills of death, I mourn, ye things of beauty! O leafy, flow'ry, balmy June! The poet's lyre is out of tune, The strings are sullen, damp, and chill, The song can neither charm nor thrill, Till thou fulfill'st thy duty. Oh! cast aside thy veil of gloom; Come forth in splendour, beauty, bloom; Fair bride of summer, blushing, smiling, With sun-bright eyes our fears beguiling— Come jewelled, robed, and crowned. Nature, be thou my muse—inspire My song: and though at times my lyre Hath thrilled to notes of woe and war, An inspiration dearer far In Nature I have found. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...AN HYMN OF HEAVENLY LOVE by EDMUND SPENSER ARTIST by ALEXANDER (ALEKSANDR) ALEXANDROVICH BLOK POUR QUI SAIT ATTENDRE by WILFRID SCAWEN BLUNT A DREAM AND A SONG by WILLIAM STANLEY BRAITHWAITE THE DARK VISITOR by ANNE MILLAY BREMER A MARCH GLEE by JOHN BURROUGHS A SOLILOQUY ON READING THE 5TH AND 8TH VERSES OF THE 37TH PSALM by JOHN BYROM TO A LADY, WITH FALCONER'S 'SHIPWRECK' by SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE |