O! Reason! vaunted Sovereign of the mind! Thou pompous vision with a sounding name! Can'st thou, the soul's rebellious passions tame? Can'st thou in spells the vagrant fancy bind? Ah, no! capricious as the wavering wind, Are sighs of Love that dim thy boasted flame, While Folly's torch consumes the wreath of fame, And Pleasure's hands the sheaves of truth unbind. Pressed by the storms of Fate, hope shrinks and dies; Frenzy darts forth in mightiest ills arrayed; Around thy throne destructive tumults rise, And hell-fraught jealousies, thy rights invade! Then, what art thou? O! Idol of the wise! A visionary theme! -- a gorgeous shade! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...TO W.P.: 4 by GEORGE SANTAYANA THE LOVE SONNETS OF PROTEUS: 55. ST. VALENTINE'S DAY by WILFRID SCAWEN BLUNT ANSWER TO A CHILD'S QUESTION by SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE THE LONG WHITE SEAM by JEAN INGELOW ON CATULLUS by WALTER SAVAGE LANDOR TO LUCASTA, [ON] GOING TO THE WARS by RICHARD LOVELACE THE BALLAD OF BAZILE BORGNE: L'ENVOI by IDA COLE BARTLATT |