Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, ELEGY: THE POET INVOKES THE SPIRITS OF THE ELEMENTS, by ROBERT SOUTHEY


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

ELEGY: THE POET INVOKES THE SPIRITS OF THE ELEMENTS, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: Ye sylphs, who banquet on my delia's blush
Last Line: And burst my feeble body's frail control.
Variant Title(s): Love Elegies Of Abel Shufflebottom: 2
Subject(s): Beauty; Desire; Love; Obsessions; Poetry & Poets; Singing & Singers; Women


YE sylphs who banquet on my Delia's blush,
Who on her locks of floating gold repose,
Dip in her cheek your gossamery brush,
And with its bloom of beauty tinge the rose.

Hover around her lips on rainbow wing,
Load from her honeyed breath your viewless feet,
Bear thence a richer fragrance for the spring,
And make the lily and the violet sweet.

Ye gnomes, whose toil through many a dateless year
Its nurture to the infant gem supplies,
From central caverns bring your diamonds here,
To ripen in the sun of Delia's eyes.

And ye who bathe in Etna's lava springs,
Spirits of fire! to see my love advance,
Fly, salamanders, on asbestos wings,
To wanton in my Delia's fiery glance.

She weeps, she weeps! her eye with anguish swells,
Some tale of sorrow melts my feeling girl!
Nymphs! catch the tears, and in your lucid shells
Enclose them, embryos of the orient pearl.

She sings! the nightingale with envy hears,
The cherubim bends from his starry throne,
And motionless are stopt the attentive spheres,
To hear more heavenly music than their own.

Cease, Delia, cease! for all the angel throng,
Listening to thee, let sleep their golden wires!
Cease, Delia! cease that too surpassing song,
Lest, stung to envy, they should break their lyres.

Cease, ere my senses are to madness driven
By the strong joy! cease, Delia, lest my soul
Enwrapt, already think itself in heaven,
And burst my feeble body's frail control.





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