I come in the breath of the wakened breeze, I kiss the flowers, and I bend the trees; And I shake the dew, which hath fallen by night, From its throne, on the lily's pure bosom of white. Awake thee, when bright from my couch in the sky, I beam o'er the mountains, and come from on high; When my gay purple banners are waving afar; When my herald, gray dawn, hath extinguished each star; When I smile on the woodlands, and bend o'er the lake, Then awake thee, O maiden, I bid thee awake! Thou mayst slumber when all the wide arches of Heaven Glitter bright with the beautiful fire of even; When the moon walks in glory, and looks from on high, O'er the clouds floating far through the clear azure sky, Drifting on like the beautiful vessels of Heaven, To their far-away harbour, all silently driven, Bearing on, in their bosoms, the children of light, Who have fled from this dark world of sorrow and night; When the lake lies in calmness and darkness, save where The bright ripple curls, 'neath the smile of a star; When all is in silence and solitude here, Then sleep, maiden, sleep! without sorrow or fear! But when I steal silently over the lake, Awake thee then, maiden, awake! oh, awake! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE FRAILTY AND HURTFULNESS OF BEAUTY by HENRY HOWARD BROWNING AT ASOLO by ROBERT UNDERWOOD JOHNSON LINES ON THE MERMAID TAVERN by JOHN KEATS SONNET FROM JAPAN: 1. THE SPELL by ADELAIDE NICHOLS BAKER CREOLE SLAVE SONG: THE SONG OF CAYETANO'S CIRCUS by GEORGE WASHINGTON CABLE THE DESECRATION OF THE HAN TOMB by CHANG TSAI STANZAS, ON PLANTING A BAY-TREE AT THE GRAVE OF CHURCHILL by JOHN CHALK CLARIS |