Living English Poets Author:Edmund Gosse 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: AUBREY DE VERE Born SONG When I was young, I said to Sorrow, " Come, and I will play with thee " :— He is near me now all day ; And at night returns to ... more »say, " I will come again to-morrow, I will come and stay with thee." Through the woods we walk together; His soft footsteps rustle nigh me ; To shield an unregarded head, He hath built a winter shed ; And all night in rainy weather, I hear his gentle breathings by me. From " ODE ON THE ASCENT OF THE ALPS " All night as in my dreams I lay The shout of torrents without number Was in my ears—" Away, away, No time have we for slumber! The star-beams in our eddies play— The moon is set: away, away!" And round the hills in tumult borne Through echoing caves and gorges rocking, The voices of the night and morn Are crying louder in their scorn, My tedious languor mocking. Alas! in vain man's wearied limbs would rise To join in elemental ecstasies! " But thou, O Muse, our heavenly mate, Unclogged art thou by fleshly weight! Ascend ; upbearing my desire Among the mountains higher and higher. Leap from the glen upon the forest— Leap from the forest on the snow: And while from snow to cloud thou soarest Look back on me below: Where from the glacier bursts the river With iron clang, pursue it ever; Where Eagles through the tempest break, Float forward in their viewless wake ; Where sunbeams gild the icy spire Fling from thy tresses fire on fire." I spake—Behold her o'er the broad lake flying : Like a great Angel missioned to bestow Some boon on men beneath in sadness lying : The waves are murmuring silver murmurs low: Beneath the curdling wind Green through the shades the waters rush and roll, (Or whitened only by the unfrequent shoal) Till two dark hills, with darker y...« less