Through all that year-scarred agony of height, Inblest of bough or bloom, to where expands His wandy circlet with his bladed bands Dividing every wind, or loud or light, To termless hymns of love and old despite, Yon tall palmetto in the twilight stands, Bare Dante of these purgatorial sands That glimmer marginal to the monstrous night. Comes him a Southwind from the scented vine, It breathes of Beatrice through all his blades, North, East or West, Guelph-wind or Ghibelline, 'Tis shredded into music down the shades; All sea-breaths, land-breaths, systol, diastol, Sway, minstrels of that grief-melodious Soul. 1880 | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...ON LIBERTY AND SLAVERY by GEORGE MOSES HORTON SUMMER. THE SECOND PASTORAL, OR ALEXIS by ALEXANDER POPE THE HOUSE OF LIFE: THE SONNET (INTRODUCTION) by DANTE GABRIEL ROSSETTI TO HAFIZ by THOMAS BAILEY ALDRICH ANACREON by ANTIPATER OF SIDON FULFILLMENT by CLARIBEL WEEKS AVERY ESTEEMING THE BIBLE by HORATIO (HORATIUS) BONAR OUT OF THE SILENCE OF MY DREAMS by WILLIAM STANLEY BRAITHWAITE |