WHO to the grave child-eyes could teach Unknown Love's tremor and his play; The silences that crown his speech, His bitter-sweet and mourning way? Thro' those dark deeps I saw him rise, And stir the spirit's soft control, And shake the imaged world that lies Fair on the mirror of her soul. How oft thro' woodlands undefiled She rode amid the spring-tide's stir! Fierce creatures at her touch were mild And dumb things spake for love of her. Then all at once her heart would beat, And from her gaze the gladness died; She drew the rein, before her feet The sunset vales lay glorified. Alone and ardent, fair and young, O woman smit with woman's pain! O song thro' all her being sung Of Love delaying, Love in vain! That voiceless passion Love had heard, Denied it strangely, strangely gave; Sighed in a smile and sent my bird Bright-plumaged o'er the sundering wave. As though the soul of all things wild, The soul of all things brave and free, Came in the likeness of a child From tossing forests over-sea; And softly to my bosom stole, And o'er my heart in freshness blew, Until that living loving soul Became my life, my love anew. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...BREAKFAST by WILFRID WILSON GIBSON HARLEM SHADOWS by CLAUDE MCKAY JUDGE NOT by ADELAIDE ANNE PROCTER THE HAYMAKER'S SONG by ALFRED AUSTIN THE HEATHER ON FIRE by MATHILDE BLIND ASSASSINS by WILFRID SCAWEN BLUNT THE MODERN JUDAS by HARRY RANDOLPH BLYTHE |