'The Being, that is in the clouds and air, 'The pleasure-house is dust :-behind, before, 'She leaves these objects to a slow decay, These monuments shall all be overgrown. 'One lesson, Shepherd, let us two divide, Taught both by what she shows, and what conceals; 1800. T IS said, that some have died for love: And here and there a churchyard grave is found In the cold north's unhallowed ground, Because the wretched man himself had slain, His love was such a grievous pain. And there is one whom I five years have known; Upon Helvellyn's side: He loved the pretty Barbara died; And thus he makes his moan: Three years had Barbara in her grave been laid When thus his moan he made: 'Oh, move, thou Cottage, from behind that oak! Or let the aged tree uprooted lie, That in some other way yon smoke May mount into the sky! The clouds pass on; they from the heavens depart : I know not what I trace; But when I cease to look, my hand is on my heart. 'O! what a weight is in these shades! Ye leaves, That murmur once so dear, when will it cease? Your sound my heart of rest bereaves, It robs my heart of peace. Thou Thrush, that singest loud-and loud and free, Into yon row of willows flit, Upon that alder sit; Or sing another song, or choose another tree. 'Roll back, sweet Rill! back to thy mountain-bounds, And there for ever be thy waters chained! For thou dost haunt the air with sounds That cannot be sustained; If still beneath that pine-tree's ragged bough Oh let it then be dumb! Be anything, sweet Rill, but that which thou art now. 'Thou Eglantine, so bright with sunny showers, Proud as a rainbow spanning half the vale, Thou one fair shrub, oh! shed thy flowers, And stir not in the gale. For thus to see thee nodding in the air, To see thy arch thus stretch and bend, Thus rise and thus descend, Disturbs me till the sight is more than I can bear.' The Man who makes this feverish complaint The Sparrow's Nest 1 EHOLD, within the leafy shade, BE 1800. Those bright blue eggs together laid! On me the chance-discovered sight Gleamed like a vision of delight. I started-seeming to espy The Sparrow's dwelling, which, hard by She looked at it and seemed to fear it; She gave me eyes, she gave me ears; And love, and thought, and joy. 1801. M Y heart leaps up when I behold1 So was it when my life began; So be it when I shall grow old, Or let me die! The Child is father of the Man ; And I could wish my days to be Bound each to each by natural piety. The oldest and youngest Are at work with the strongest ; Like an army defeated On the top of the bare hill; The Ploughboy is whooping-anon-anon: Blue sky prevailing ; The rain is over and gone! 1802. To a Butterfly1 'VE watched you now a full half-hour, I Self-poised upon that yellow flower; And, little Butterfly! indeed I know not if you sleep or feed. What joy awaits you, when the breeze This plot of orchard-ground is ours; My trees they are, my Sister's flowers; Here rest your wings when they are weary; Here lodge as in a sanctuary! Come often to us, fear no wrong; Sit near us on the bough! We'll talk of sunshine and of song, And summer days, when we were young; Sweet childish days, that were as long 1802. |