ETERNAL Hunger! O through the black night Rave, Winds. The forest fanes Tremble, rock, crash, and ring incessantly The cry of homeless spirits. Roar Ye torrents from the mountains. Roar O Sea, Rave under the pale stars. O gulf of Death Yawn blackening beneath. But O great Heart, O Love greater than all, Over the mountains the forests and the seas, O'er the black chasm of death, in spectral haste Thou ridest, and the hungry winds and waves Are but Thy hounds: Thou the eternal huntsman! Great heart and lonely, indomitable in pride As the pale Titan! a storm-battling eagle Art thou above the promontory of the world; Ay, and ah me! A tender little bird Wind-blown and baffled from its nest for ever. Pain, ah! eternal pain. I hear Aeolian harpings wail and die Down forest glades, and through the hearts of men, Pain, pain, eternal pain! High round the cloud-girt pinnacle of gaunt snow I hear the wind moan Pain, eternal pain. O man, O child of Man! Thou frail and baffled bird, thou weary thing, Thou strong to suffer, of satanic pride, I take thee up into this height of pain, And shew thee all the kingdoms of the earth, Yea, all the kingdoms of the hearts of men— The pure and light-strewn kingdoms of strong love: Gaze long in silence, friend; gaze long for all are thine | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...SPRING IN NEW ENGLAND by THOMAS BAILEY ALDRICH PEARLS OF THE FAITH: 20. AL-'ALIM by EDWIN ARNOLD THE TREE BUDS by KATE LOUISE BROWN HATCHET by WILLIAM THOMAS CALLAWAY JR. TOWARDS DEMOCRACY: PART 2. I COME FORTH FROM THE DARKNESS by EDWARD CARPENTER THE OLD PROSPECTOR by CHARLES BADGER CLARK JR. WAITING by GEORGE HERBERT CLARKE LINES FROM A NOTEBOOK - MAY/JUNE 1805 by SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE |