WITH joy I view thee, bathed in purple light, Whilst all around is dark; with joy I see Thee rising from thy sea of pitchy clouds Into the middle heaven, -- As if a temple to the Eternal raised By all the earth, framed of the pillar'd rock, And canopied with everlasting snow! -- That lovely river, rolling at my feet Its bright green waves, and winding 'midst the rocks, Brown in their winter's foliage, gain'd from thee Its flood of waters; through a devious course, Though it has laved the fertile plains, and wash'd The cities' walls, and mingled with the streams Of lowland origin, yet still preserves Its native character of mountain strength, -- Its colour, and its motion. Such are those Amongst the generations of mankind To whom the stream of thought descends from heaven, With all the force of reason and the power Of sacred genius. Through the world they pass Still uncorrupted, and on what they take From social life bestow a character Of dignity. Greater they become, But never lose their native purity. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE WHITE LIGHTS by EDWIN ARLINGTON ROBINSON A BOOK OF AIRS: SONG 10. THE DYING FALL by THOMAS CAMPION THE SONG OF THE CAMP by BAYARD TAYLOR COMPOSED BY THE SIDE OF GRASMERE by WILLIAM WORDSWORTH |