OH, sweet and gentle maiden, At life's enchanting age, I glance along thy gathered stores, Upon the thoughtful page; Fair records of immortal minds, Whose burning words unfold Our struggling souls' emotions, Which else were all untold. And I 'an old diviner,' As I read the written line, See upon it and beneath it,— Shall I tell what I divine? Listen then, oh fairest maiden, How from signs I gather truth, How I read the page before me, And construe of thy youth. Something of a restless spirit, Quickly moved to smiles and tears, But beneath are brooding fancies, All too sad for brightening years; Thought, beyond thy girlhood's seeming, Heart, like morning's purest dew, And a soul, that seeks communion With the generous, bold, and true. Brimming full life's morning chalice, Yet, within the gilded round, Bubbling up immortal longings For what earth has never found! Yet, though no cloud has gathered Its shadows on thy heart, Nor mortal sorrow made itself Of all thy life a part; Though hopes and joys surround thee, And on thy summer hours The smiles of home and friendship fall, Like sunlight shed on flowers; Yet better thus, believe me, Before the shadows come, This softer, sadder, inward light Around thy spirit's home; For this, when smiles are fading, And earthly hopes decay, Glows brighter, through the darkest night, And cheers the roughest day; Spreads through the soul a sober joy, As earthborn pleasure flies, A gleam of kindred heaven, An earnest of the skies! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...SATIRES OF CIRCUMSTANCE. 6. IN THE CEMETERY by THOMAS HARDY THE MAID'S LAMENT; ELIZABETHAN by WALTER SAVAGE LANDOR HE WROTE THE HISTORY BOOK,' IT SAID by MARIANNE MOORE THE HOUSE OF LIFE: 50. WILLOWWOOD (2) by DANTE GABRIEL ROSSETTI THE BUTTERFLY AND THE BEE by WILLIAM LISLE BOWLES |