Classic and Contemporary Poetry
TO SWINBURNE, by HUMBERT WOLFE Poet's Biography First Line: Poet! Thou art to me a faery king Last Line: Sea, wind and sun, the gods who rule the earth. Subject(s): Death; Flowers; Nature; Poetry & Poets; Sea; Dead, The; Ocean | ||||||||
I Poet! thou art to me a faery king Dwelling in some weird place of witchery, Some garden where unnumbered roses vie In color with the hollyhocks that spring On every side in scarlet wantoning And lilies 'neath the gaudier herbage lie And violets unclose their leaves near by While stately sunflowers guard each opening. And in that garden-realm magnificent I often see thee walking-stopping now To list to hollow murmurs, now to scent Some flower's subtile perfume, wherein pent, A rich, rare pleasance lies that none but thou And thy strange fellow-bard, the wind, can know. II Oft, too, I see thee on the rocky shore, Worshiping all the infinitely strong Grand godhead that to ocean doth belong, Or prostrate with uncovered head before The sun, whom even Ocean doth adore, Who giveth speech to every poet's tongue, Who is the only king and god of song, From whom all bards receive their secret lore. For thou art brother of the elements; There is a spirit of kinship that compels Thy feet to stray in paths where nothing dwells Save the triune power that knows nor death nor birth Put sways all nature in omnipotence -- Sea, wind and sun, the gods who rule the earth. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...HALL OF OCEAN LIFE by JOHN HOLLANDER JULY FOURTH BY THE OCEAN by ROBINSON JEFFERS BOATS IN A FOG by ROBINSON JEFFERS CONTINENT'S END by ROBINSON JEFFERS THE FIGUREHEAD by LEONIE ADAMS |
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