A heaven confused pours forth these feeble twilight glows. Fairer than clearest sky the fleecy clouds appear; this eve the glimmering sun like suavest moonlight shows, and Earth's conglomerate sweet is wholly gathered here. The breeze, that softer grows in evening vapours cold, with calm and tender love upon the reeds doth weigh. The cloud, agape for dreams, allows one to behold that planet which itself forgets, forgets the day. I tread a river's brim whence, as in dream, I see the image of the sun, whose halo, silver-lit, swims through the rushes green and slowly follows me, while murmurous clouds of gnats are dancing over it. Farewell, sun, too prone to dream in the river's dark abyss. -- From nenuphars arise these hues of gold and milk diffusing furtive gleams like undulating silk. Of flowers that drown themselves how brief the splendour is! Restored, with fall of night, to the shapes in motion there, the far shore, vaporous sea, your billows have immersed. Pursuing banks of fog across the river fare. Of the bridge I only see a single span, the first. Soul astray, shall I go to dream, 'mid mists profound and wan, of a bridge to guide my steps to Heaven's resplendent height, or of the Stream that falls into eternal Night? What dreaming, still to dream if all the world is gone! Poesy, poesy, when sleep the world assails and there is no more moon and there are no more stars, you watch my soul that glides, ample, bereft of veils, a river slow that lulls great, golden nenuphars. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...IN HARBOR by PAUL HAMILTON HAYNE LIKE A LAVEROCK IN THE LIFT by JEAN INGELOW TO THE MEMORY OF MY BELOVED MASTER WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE by BEN JONSON SONNET TO A CLAM by JOHN GODFREY SAXE ODE IN MEMORY OF THE AMERICAN VOLUNTEERS FALLEN FOR FRANCE by ALAN SEEGER THE IVORY CRADLE by AUGUSTE ANGELLIER |