Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

MAGIC by LIONEL PIGOT JOHNSON

Poem Explanation Poet Analysis

First Line: THEY WRONG WITH IGNORANCE A ROYAL CHOICE
Subject(s): MAGIC;
I

Because I work not, as logicians work,

Who but to ranked and marshalled reason yield:
I
But my feet hasten through a faery field,
Because I work not, as logicians work,
Thither, where underneath the rainbow lurk
Who but to ranked and marshalled reason yield:
Spirits of youth, and life, and gold, concealed:
But my feet hasten through a faery field,

Thither, where underneath the rainbow lurk

Spirits of youth, and life, and gold, concealed:
Because by leaps I scale the secret sky,

Upon the motion of a cunning star:

Because I hold the winds oracular,
Because by leaps I scale the secret sky,
And think on airy warnings, when men die:
Upon the motion of a cunning star:
Because I tread the ground, where shadows are:
Because I hold the winds oracular,

And think on airy warnings, when men die:

Because I tread the ground, where shadows are:
Therefore my name is grown a popular scorn,

And I a children's terror! Only now,

For I am old! O Mother Nature! thou
Therefore my name is grown a popular scorn,
Leavest me not: wherefore, as night turns morn,
And I a children's terror! Only now,
A magian wisdom breaks beneath my brow.
For I am old! O Mother Nature! thou

Leavest me not: wherefore, as night turns morn,

A magian wisdom breaks beneath my brow.
These painful toilers of the bounded way,

Chaired within cloister halls: can they renew

Ashes to flame? Can they of moonlit dew
These painful toilers of the bounded way,
Prepare the immortalizing draughts? Can they
Chaired within cloister halls: can they renew
Give gold for refuse earth, or bring to view
Ashes to flame? Can they of moonlit dew

Prepare the immortalizing draughts? Can they

Give gold for refuse earth, or bring to view
Earth's deepest doings? Let them have their school

Their science, and their safety! I am he,

Whom Nature fills with her philosophy,
Earth's deepest doings? Let them have their school
And takes for kinsman. Let me be their fool,
Their science, and their safety! I am he,
And wise man in the winds' society.
Whom Nature fills with her philosophy,
1887
And takes for kinsman. Let me be their fool,

And wise man in the winds' society.


II

They wrong with ignorance a royal choice ,
II
Who cavil at my loneliness and labour:
They wrong with ignorance a royal choice,
For them, the luring wonder of a voice,
Who cavil at my loneliness and labour:
The viol's cry for them, the harp and tabour:
For them, the luring wonder of a voice,
For me divine austerity,
The viol's cry for them, the harp and tabour:
And voices of philosophy.
For me divine austerity,

And voices of philosophy.


Ah! light imaginations, that discern

No passion in the citadel of passion:
Ah! light imaginations, that discern
Their fancies lie on flowers; but my thoughts turn
No passion in the citadel of passion:
To thoughts and things of an eternal fashion:
Their fancies lie on flowers; but my thoughts turn
The majesty and dignity
To thoughts and things of an eternal fashion:
Of everlasting verity.
The majesty and dignity

Of everlasting verity.


Mine is the sultry sunset, when the skies

Tremble with strange, intolerable thunder:
Mine is the sultry sunset, when the skies
And at the dead of an hushed night, these eyes
Tremble with strange, intolerable thunder:
Draw down the soaring oracles winged with wonder:
And at the dead of an hushed night, these eyes
From the four winds they come to me,
Draw down the soaring oracles winged with wonder:
The Angels of Eternity.
From the four winds they come to me,

The Angels of Eternity.


Men pity me; poor men, who pity me!

Poor, charitable, scornful souls of pity!
Men pity me; poor men, who pity me!
I choose laborious loneliness: and ye
Poor, charitable, scornful souls of pity!
Lead Love in triumph through the dancing city:
I choose laborious loneliness: and ye
While death and darkness girdle me,
Lead Love in triumph through the dancing city:
I grope for immortality.
While death and darkness girdle me,
1887
I grope for immortality.




III
III
Pour slowly out your holy balm of oil,
Pour slowly out your holy balm of oil,
Within the grassy circle: let none spoil
Within the grassy circle: let none spoil
Our favourable silence. Only I,
Our favourable silence. Only I,
Winding wet vervain round mine eyes, will cry
Winding wet vervain round mine eyes, will cry
Upon the powerful Lord of this our toil;
Upon the powerful Lord of this our toil;
Until the first lark sing, the last star die.
Until the first lark sing, the last star die.




Proud Lord of twilight, Lord of midnight, hear!
Proud Lord of twilight, Lord of midnight, hear!
Thou hast forgone us; and hast drowsed thine ear,
Thou hast forgone us; and hast drowsed thine ear,
When haggard voices hail thee: thou hast turned
When haggard voices hail thee: thou hast turned
Blind eyes, dull nostrils, when our vows have burned
Blind eyes, dull nostrils, when our vows have burned
Herbs on the moonlit flame, in reverent fear:
Herbs on the moonlit flame, in reverent fear:
Silence is all, our love of thee hath earned.
Silence is all, our love of thee hath earned.




Master! we call thee, calling on thy name!
Master! we call thee, calling on thy name!
Thy savoury laurel crackles: the blue flame
Thy savoury laurel crackles: the blue flame
Gleams, leaps, devours apace the dewy leaves.
Gleams, leaps, devours apace the dewy leaves.
Vain! for nor breast of labouring midnight heaves,
Vain! for nor breast of labouring midnight heaves,
Nor chilled stars fall: all things remain the same,
Nor chilled stars fall: all things remain the same,
Save this new pang, that stings, and burns, and cleaves.
Save this new pang, that stings, and burns, and cleaves.




Despising us, thou knowest not! We stand,
Despising us, thou knowest not! We stand,
Bared for thine adoration, hand in hand:
Bared for thine adoration, hand in hand:
Steely our eyes, our hearts to all but thee
Steely our eyes, our hearts to all but thee
Iron: as waves of the unresting sea,
Iron: as waves of the unresting sea,
The wind of thy least Word is our command:
The wind of thy least Word is our command:
And our ambition hails thy sovereignty.
And our ambition hails thy sovereignty.




Come, Sisters! for the King of night is dead:
Come, Sisters! for the King of night is dead:
Come! for the frailest star of stars hath sped:
Come! for the frailest star of stars hath sped:
And though we waited for the waking sun,
And though we waited for the waking sun,
Our King would wake not. Come! our world is done:
Our King would wake not. Come! our world is done:
For all the witchery of the world is fled,
For all the witchery of the world is fled,
And lost all wanton wisdom long since won.
And lost all wanton wisdom long since won.
1888






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