Classic and Contemporary Poetry
SISTER ROSA: A BALLAD, by PERCY BYSSHE SHELLEY Poet Analysis Poet's Biography First Line: The death-bell beats! Last Line: A deep groan was answered from hell. | ||||||||
I THE death-bell beats! -- The mountain repeats The echoing sound of the knell; And the dark monk now Wraps the cowl round his brow, As he sits in his lonely cell. II And the cold hand of death Chills his shuddering breath, As he lists to the fearful lay, Which the ghosts of the sky, As they sweep wildly by, Sing to departed day. And they sing of the hour When the stern fates had power To resolve Rosa's form to its clay. III But that hour is past; And that hour was the last Of peace to the dark monk's brain; Bitter tears from his eyes gushed silent and fast; And he strove to suppress them in vain. IV Then his fair cross of gold he dashed on the floor, When the death-knell struck on his ear, -- 'Delight is in store For her evermore; But for me is fate, horror, and fear.' V Then his eyes wildly rolled, When the death-bell tolled, And he raged in terrific woe; And he stamped on the ground, -- But, when ceased the sound, Tears again began to flow. VI And the ice of despair Chilled the wild throb of care, And he sate in mute agony still; Till the night-stars shone through the cloudless air, And the pale moonbeam slept on the hill. VII Then he knelt in his cell, -- And the horrors of hell Were delights to his agonized pain; And he prayed to God to dissolve the spell, Which else must forever remain. VIII And in fervent prayer he knelt on the ground, Till the abbey bell struck one; His feverish blood ran chill at the sound; A voice hollow and horrible murmured around, -- 'The term of thy penance is done!' IX Grew dark the night; The moonbeam bright Waxed faint on the mountain high; And from the black hill Went a voice cold and still, -- 'Monk! thou art free to die.' X Then he rose on his feet, And his heart loud did beat, And his limbs they were palsied with dread; Whilst the grave's clammy dew O'er his pale forehead grew; And he shuddered to sleep with the dead. XI And the wild midnight storm Paved around his tall form, As he sought the chapel's gloom: And the sunk grass did sigh To the wind, bleak and high, As he searched for the new-made tomb. XII And forms, dark and high, Seemed around him to fly, And mingle their yells with the blast, -- And on the dark wall Half-seen shadows did fall, As, enhorrored, he on ward passed. XIII And the storm-fiends wild rave O'er the new-made grave, And dread shadows linger around; -- The Monk called on God his soul to save, And, in horror, sank on the ground. XIV Then despair nerved his arm To dispel the charm, And he burst Rosa's coffin asunder; And the fierce storm did swell More terrific and fell And louder pealed the thunder. XV And laughed in joy the fiendish throng, Mixed with ghosts of the mouldering dead; And their grisly wings, as they floated along, Whistled in murmurs dread. XVI And her skeleton form the dead Nun reared, Which dripped with the chill dew of hell; In her half-eaten eyeballs two pale flames appeared, And triumphant their gleam on the dark monk glared, As he stood within the cell. XVII And her lank hand lay on his shuddering brain, But each power was nerved by fear, -- 'I never, henceforth, may breathe again; Death now ends mine anguished pain. The grave yawns, -- we meet there.' XVIII And her skeleton lungs did utter the sound, So deadly, so lone and so fell That in long vibrations shuddered the ground; And, as the stern notes floated around, A deep groan was answered from hell. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...ADONAIS; AN ELEGY ON THE DEATH OF JOHN KEATS by PERCY BYSSHE SHELLEY ALASTOR; OR, THE SPIRIT OF SOLITUDE by PERCY BYSSHE SHELLEY AUTUMN: A DIRGE by PERCY BYSSHE SHELLEY ENGLAND IN 1819 by PERCY BYSSHE SHELLEY EPIPSYCHIDION by PERCY BYSSHE SHELLEY FEELINGS OF A REPUBLICAN ON THE FALL OF BONAPARTE by PERCY BYSSHE SHELLEY HYMN OF PAN by PERCY BYSSHE SHELLEY HYMN TO INTELLECTUAL BEAUTY by PERCY BYSSHE SHELLEY LINES WRITTEN ON HEARING THE NEWS OF THE DEATH OF NAPOLEON by PERCY BYSSHE SHELLEY LOVE'S PHILOSOPHY by PERCY BYSSHE SHELLEY MONT BLANC; LINES WRITTEN IN THE VALE OF CHAMOUNI by PERCY BYSSHE SHELLEY |
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