A spirit listened to the whispering grass, That shimmered with wet tints of human tears, And like a wandering wind the lonely years Dried them; the spirit heard that low wind pass, And cried THERE IS NO TIME: TIME NEVER WAS! Then beat it down and flew beyond the spheres, To where the immortal Face of Beauty wears That smile which earth sees darkly, as in a glass. And now where'er the dews at nightfall glisten, Where'er the mountain-winds are breathing low, Where'er the seas creep glimmering to the shore, Some wanderer shall pause awhile and listen, And see i' the darkling glass a tenderer glow Whence that bright spirit whispers evermore. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...PERIMEDES, THE BLACKSMITH: PHILLIS AND CORIDON by ROBERT GREENE CHIQUITA by FRANCIS BRET HARTE IN A BYE-CANAL by HERMAN MELVILLE ASTRAEA by JOHN GREENLEAF WHITTIER THE METAMORPHOSIS OF THE WALNUT-TREE OF BOARSTELL: CANTO 3 by WILLIAM BASSE CUPID IN AMBUSH by HARRY RANDOLPH BLYTHE |