'TIS cloudless morning, but a frown misplaced, Cold -- lurid -- strange, The summer smile from Nature's brow hath chased. What fearful change, What menacing catastrophe is thus Ushered by such prognostics ominous? Is it the light of day, this livid glare, Death's counterpart: -- What means the withering coldness in the air That chills my heart, And what the gloom portentous that hath made The glow of morning a funereal shade? O'er the Sun's disc a dark orb wins its slow Gloom-deepening way, Climbs -- spreads -- enshrouds -- extinguishes -- and lo! The god of day Hangs in the sky, a corpse! the usurper's might Hath stormed his throne, and quenched the life of light! A pall is on the earth -- the screaming birds To covert speed; Bewildered and aghast, the bellowing herds Rush o'er the mead; While men, pale shadows in the ghastly gloom, Seem spectral forms just risen from the tomb. Transient, though total, was that drear eclipse; With might restored The Sun regladdened earth -- but human lips Have never poured In mortal ears the horrors of the sight That thrilled my soul that memorable night. To every distant zone and fulgent star Mine eyes could reach, And the wide waste was one chaotic war; O'er all and each, Above -- beneath -- around me -- everywhere, Was anarchy -- convulsion -- death -- despair. 'Twas noon, and yet a deep unnatural night Enshrouded Heaven, Save where some orb unsphered, or satellite Franticly driven, Glared as it darted through the darkness dread, Blind -- rudderless -- unchecked -- unpiloted. A thousand simultaneous thunders crashed, As here and there Some rushing planet 'gainst another dashed, Shooting through air Volleys of shattered wreck, when, both destroyed, Foundered and sank in the engulfing void. Others, self-kindled, as they whirled and turned Without a guide, Burst into flames, and rushing as they burned With range more wide, Like fire-ships that some stately fleet surprise, Spread havoc through the constellated skies. While stars kept falling from their spheres -- as though The heavens wept fire, Earth was a raging hell of war and woe Most deep and dire, Virtue was vice -- vice virtue -- all was strife, Brute force was law -- justice the assassin's knife. From that fell scene my space-commanding eye Glad to withdraw, I pierced the empyrean palace of the sky And shuddering saw A vacant throne -- a sun's extinguished sphere, All else a void -- dark, desolate, and drear. "What mean," I cried, "these sights unparalleled, These scenes of fear?" When lo! a voice replied, and Nature held Her breath to hear, "Mortal, the scroll before thine eyes unfurled, Displays a @3soul eclipse@1 -- an @3atheist world.@1" I woke -- my dream was o'er! What ecstacy It was to know That God was guide and guardian of the sky, That man below Deserved the love I felt -- I could not speak The thrilling joy, whose tears were on my cheek! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...FRAGMENT by JAMES WELDON JOHNSON THE GUARDIAN ANGEL (A PICTURE AT FANO) by ROBERT BROWNING AN OLD WOMAN OF THE ROADS by PADRAIC COLUM A FRIEND'S SONG FOR SIMOISIUS by LOUISE IMOGEN GUINEY PREJUDICE by GEORGIA DOUGLAS JOHNSON PUCK AND THE FAIRY, FR. A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM by WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE |