In darkness and in light, from herb and stone, Which wields the world with never wearied love, He is a portion of the loveliness Which once he made more lovely: he doth bear From trees and beasts and men into the Heaven's light. The splendours of the firmament of time Shall be its earthly doom, the dead live there And move like winds of light on dark and stormy air. The inheritors of unfulfilled renown Rose from their thrones, built beyond mortal thought, Rose pale, his solemn agony had not And many more, whose names on Earth are dark, But whose transmitted effluence cannot die So long as fire outlives the parent spark, Thou art become as one of us,' they cry, 'It was for thee yon kingless sphere has long Swung blind in unascended majesty, Silent alone amid an Heaven of Song. Assume thy wingèd throne, thou Vesper of our throng!' Who mourns for Adonais? Oh, come forth, Fond wretch! and know thyself and him aright. Clasp with thy panting soul the pendulous Earth; As from a centre, dart thy spirit's light Beyond all worlds, until its spacious might Satiate the void circumference: then shrink Even to a point within our day and night; And keep thy heart light lest it make thee sink When hope has kindled hope, and lured thee to the brink. Or go to Rome, which is the sepulchre Oh, not of him, but of our joy: 'tis nought Go thou to Rome, at once the Paradise, The grave, the city, and the wilderness; And where its wrecks like shattered mountains rise, Pass, till the Spirit of the spot shall lead A light of laughing flowers along the grass is spread. And gray walls moulder round, on which dull Time This refuge for his memory, doth stand Like flame transformed to marble; and beneath, Have pitched in Heaven's smile their camp of death, Welcoming him we lose with scarce extinguished breath. Here pause: these graves are all too young as yet The One remains, the many change and pass; Until Death tramples it to fragments.-Die, If thou wouldst be with that which thou dost seek! Why linger, why turn back, why shrink, my Heart? No more let Life divide what Death can join together. That Light whose smile kindles the Universe, Which through the web of being blindly wove The breath whose might I have invoked in song Whilst, burning through the inmost veil of Heaven, Beacons from the abode where the Eternal are. 523 524 JAMES HENRY LEIGH HUNT [1784-1859] JENNY KISS'D ME JENNY kiss'd me when we met, Jumping from the chair she sat in; Time, you thief, who love to get Sweets into your list, put that in! Say I'm weary, say I'm sad, Say that health and wealth have miss'd me, Say I'm growing old, but add, Jenny kiss'd me. ABOU BEN ADHEM ABOU BEN ADHEM (may his tribe increase) And to the presence in the room he said, 'What writest thou?'-The vision raised its head, And, with a look made of all sweet accord, Answered, 'The names of those who love the Lord.' 'And is mine one?' said Abou. Nay, not so,' Replied the angel. Abou spoke more low, But cheerly still, and said, 'I pray thee, then, Write me as one that loves his fellow men.' The angel wrote and vanished. The next night It came again with a great wakening light, And showed the names whom love of God had blessed, And lo! Ben Adhem's name led all the rest. 525 JOHN KEATS THE REALM OF FANCY EVER let the Fancy roam! Pleasure never is at home: At a touch sweet Pleasure melteth, Then let wingéd Fancy wander Through the thought still spread beyond her: Open wide the mind's cage-door, She'll dart forth, and cloudward soar. O sweet Fancy! let her loose; When the soundless earth is muffled, And the cakéd snow is shuffled |