A lovely night! Serenely clear the sky Spreads its broad arch of blue filled by the light Of the wan moon which, floating far on high, Looks calmly down—the silent queen of night. The sportive zephyrs, kissing in their flight Thy pure white brow, dear Mary, seem to sigh A prayer of love, and linger with delight Around our bower when thy dear form is nigh, As if they fain would bear thee with them as they fly. But see, my love, upon the fancied bound Where earth and sky are met, a gloomy cloud Ascending slowly until far around Lies 'neath the shadow of the stormy shroud. Yon sheet of flame, how grand, how wildly proud, It clove the blackness with a livid tongue. And now the thunders hoarsely roar aloud, Still wilder are the forked lightnings flung, Which seem to madly sport the distant hills among. See raised on high, like a triumphal arch Based on the mountains that o'erlook the vale, A spirit rainbow gleaming o'er the march Of elemental armies, while the gale, Eager the woods and mountains to assail, Bears them right onward on his rushing wings, Each flying cohort clad in cloudy mail With an exultant swiftness wildly sings, While chaos black behind the whole its shadow flings. Still the sweet moon upon us sadly pours Her light as yet unshaded by the gloom Of yonder cloud from whose black centre roars The living thunder as from out its womb Springs each wild flash with every deaf'ning boom. The hissing deluge comes. Where shalt thou fly, My frightened dove, to 'scape the coming doom? No shelter! none! Come to this bosom, I Will shield my own dear love from heaven's angry sky! Peal, ye wild thunders! Leap ye lightnings down! Ye wrathy elements your force combine, Till trembling earth lies prone beneath your frown. I reck not for your wrath while Mary's mine! O! let me stand like yonder riven pine Round whose bare head the lurid lightnings flame, And 'bout its arms, like fiery serpents, twine— Let me a part of this wild storm exclaim, For I'm akin to it—our spirits are the same. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...SICILIAN EMIGRANT'S SONG by WILLIAM CARLOS WILLIAMS SOUTHERN PACIFIC by CARL SANDBURG AMORETTI: 65 by EDMUND SPENSER THE GALLOWS by PHILIP EDWARD THOMAS THE BELLS AT MIDNIGHT by THOMAS BAILEY ALDRICH THE WIRES by ALEXANDER ANDERSON |