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Little Masterpieces of English Poetry: Descriptive and reflective verse.
Little Masterpieces of English Poetry Descriptive and reflective verse Author:Henry Van Dyke Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: THE GARDEN How vainly men themselves amaze, To win the palm, the oak, or bays; And their incessant labours see Crown'd from some single herb or tree, Whose sh... more »ort and narrow-verged shade Does prudently their toils upbraid; While all the flowers and trees do close, To weave the garlands of Repose. Fair Quiet, have I found thee here, And Innocence thy sister dear? Mistaken long, I sought you then In busy companies of men. Your sacred plants, if here below, Only among the plants will grow; Society is all but rude To this delicious solitude. l No white nor red was ever seen So amorous as this lovely green. Fond lovers, cruel as their flame, Cut in these trees their mistress' name: Little, alas, they know or heed How far these beauties hers exceed! Fair trees! wheres'e'er your bark I wound, No name shall but your own be found. 2 When we have run our passion's heat, Love hither makes his best retreat. The gods, that mortal beauty chase, Still in a tree did end their race; Apollo hunted Daphne so Only that she might laurel grow; And Pan did after Syrinx speed Not as a nymph, but for a reed. 3 What wondrous life is this I lead! Ripe apples drop about my head; The luscious clusters of the vine Upon my mouth do crush their wine; The nectarine and curious peach Into my hands themselves do reach; Stumbling on melons, as I pass, Insnared with flowers, I fall on grass. 4o Meanwhile the mind from pleasure less Withdraws into its happiness; The mind, that ocean where each kind Does straight its own resemblance find; Yet it creates, transcending these, Far other worlds, and other seas, Annihilating all that 's made To a green thought in a green shade. 48 Here at the fountain's sliding foot, Or...« less