Now, with wild and windy roar, Stalwart Winter comes once more, -- O'er our roof-tree thunders loud, And from edges of black cloud Shakes his beard of hoary gold, Like a tangled torrent rolled Down the sky-rifts, clear and cold! Hark! his trumpet summons rings, Potent as a warrior-king's; Till the forces of our blood Rise to lusty hardihood, And our summer's languid dreams Melt, like foam-wreaths, down the streams, When the fierce northeasters roll, Raving from the frozen pole. Nobler hopes and keener life, Quicken in his breath of strife; Through the snow-storms and the sleet On he stalks with armed feet. While the sounding clash of hail Clanging on his icy mail, Stirs whate'er of generous might Time hath left us in his flight, And our yearning pulses thrill For some grand achievement still! Lord of ice-bound sea and land, Let me grasp thy kingly hand, And from thy great heart and bold, Hecla-warm, though all is cold Round about thee, catch the fire Of my lost youth's brave desire; Let me, in the war with wrong, Like thy storms, be swift and strong, Gloomy griefs, and coward cares Broods of 'wildering, dark despairs, Marking all life's glory dim, Let me rend them, limb from limb, As the forest-boughs are rent When thou wak'st the firmament, And with savage shriek and groan, All the wildwood's overthrown! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...DR. SCUDDER'S CLINICAL LECTURE by EDGAR LEE MASTERS SUNSET WINGS by DANTE GABRIEL ROSSETTI COMPOSED BY THE SEA-SIDE NEAR CALAIS [AUGUST 1802] by WILLIAM WORDSWORTH FRED ENGLEHARDT'S BABY by CHARLES FOLLEN ADAMS THE GLASSES AND THE BIBLE by ST. CLAIR ADAMS |