FROM the dire monument of thy black room, Where now that vestal flame thou dost entomb, As in the inmost cell of all earth's womb, Sacred Lucasta, like the pow'rful ray Of heavenly truth, pass this Cimmerian way, Whilst all the standards of your beams display. Arise, and climb our whitest, highest hill; There your sad thoughts with joy and wonder fill, And see seas calm as earth, earth as your will. Behold how lightning like a taper flies, And gilds your chari't, but ashamed dies, Seeing itself outglori'd by your eyes. Threat'ning and boist'rous tempests gently bow, And to your steps part in soft paths, when now There nowhere hangs a cloud, but on your brow; No show'rs but 'twixt your lids, nor gelid snow, But what your whiter, chaster breast doth owe, Whilst winds in chains colder your sorrow blow. Shrill trumpets now do only sound to eat, Artillery hath loaden ev'ry dish with meat, And drums at ev'ry health alarums beat. All things, Lucasta! but, Lucasta! call; Trees borrow tongues, waters in accents fall, The air doth sing, and fire 's musical. Awake from the dead vault in which you dwell, All 's loyal here, except your thoughts rebel, Which, so let loose, often their gen'ral quell. See! she obeys! by all obeyed thus; No storms, heats, colds, no souls contentious, Nor civil war is found---I mean, to us. Lovers and angels, though in heav'n they show And see the woes and discords here below, What they not feel must not be said to know. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...TO W.E.B. DUBOIS - SCHOLAR by GEORGIA DOUGLAS JOHNSON CORINNA'S GOING A-MAYING by ROBERT HERRICK IN MEMORIAM A.H.H.: 23 by ALFRED TENNYSON A GIRL'S SONG ON HER LOVER, PAIDIN RUADH by CHARLES BEWLEY PSALM 51 by OLD TESTAMENT BIBLE |