Classic and Contemporary Poetry
A THOUGHT OF PARADISE, by FELICIA DOROTHEA HEMANS Poet Analysis Poet's Biography First Line: Green spot of holy ground Last Line: Hath lost -- the dower of inborn paradise! Alternate Author Name(s): Browne, Felicia Dorothea Subject(s): Heaven; Paradise | ||||||||
GREEN spot of holy ground! If thou couldst yet be found, Far in deep woods, with all thy starry flowers; If not one sullying breath Of time, or change, or death, Had touched the vernal glory of thy bowers; Might our tired pilgrim-feet, Worn by the desert's heat, On the bright freshness of thy turf repose? Might our eyes wander there Through heaven's transparent air, And rest on colours of the immortal rose? Say, would thy balmy skies And fountain melodies Our heritage of lost delight restore? Could thy soft honey-dews Through all our veins diffuse The early, childlike, trustful sleep once more? And might we, in the shade By thy tall cedars made, With angel-voices high communion hold? Would their sweet, solemn tone Give back the music gone, Our Being's harmony, so jarred of old? Oh no! -- thy sunny hours Might come with blossom-showers, All thy young leaves to spirit-lyres might thrill; But we -- should we not bring Into thy realms of spring The shadows of our souls to haunt us still? What could thy flowers and airs Do for our earth-born cares? Would the world's chain melt off and leave us free? No! -- past each living stream, Still would some fever-dream Track the lorn wanderers, meet no more for thee! Should we not shrink with fear If angel-steps were near, Feeling our burdened souls within us die? How might our passions brook The still and searching look, The starlike glance of seraph purity? Thy golden-fruited grove Was not for pining love; Vain sadness would but dim thy crystal skies! Oh! thou wert but a part Of what man's exiled heart Hath lost -- the dower of inborn Paradise! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE END OF LIFE by PHILIP JAMES BAILEY SEVEN TWILIGHTS: 6 by CONRAD AIKEN THE BOOK OF THE DEAD MAN (#19): 2. MORE ABOUT THE DEAD MAN AND WINTER by MARVIN BELL THE WORLDS IN THIS WORLD by LAURE-ANNE BOSSELAAR A SKELETON FOR MR. PAUL IN PARADISE; AFTER ALLAN GUISINGER by NORMAN DUBIE BEAUTY & RESTRAINT by DANIEL HALPERN HOW IT WILL HAPPEN, WHEN by DORIANNE LAUX IF THIS IS PARADISE by DORIANNE LAUX A DIRGE (1) by FELICIA DOROTHEA HEMANS |
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