Classic and Contemporary Poetry
A LETTER, by DIGBY MACKWORTH DOLBEN Poet's Biography First Line: My love, and once again my love Last Line: The song which then for me they sung. Alternate Author Name(s): Dolben, Digby Augustus Stewart Mackworth | ||||||||
MY Love, and once again my Love, And then no more until the end, Until the waters cease to move, Until we rest within the Ark, And all is light which now is dark, And loves can never more descend. And yet -- and yet be just to me At least for manhood; for the whole Love-current of a human soul, Though bent and rolled through fruitless ways, Tho' marred with slime and choked with weed, (Long lost the silver ripple-song, Long past the sprouting water-mead,) Is something awful, broad and strong. Remember that this utterly, With all its waves of passion, set To you; that all the water store, No second April shall restore, Was so to broken cisterns poured, And lost, or else long since had met The ocean-love of Christ the Lord. My Brother, hear me; for the Name Which is as fire in my bones Has burned away the former shame; Held I my peace, the very stones Would cry against me; hear me then, Who will not bid you hear again. Hear what I saw, and why I fled, And how I lost and how I won, I, who between the quick and dead, Once chose corruption for my own. I saw, where heaven's arches meet, One stand in awfulness alone, With folded robe and gleaming feet And eyes that looked not up nor down. It was the archangel, drawing breath To blow for life, to blow for death. The glow and soft reality Of love and life grew cold and grey, And died before the Eternity That compasseth the Judgment day. I said, 'My sin is full and ended'; While down the garden that we tended, As in a heavy dream, I turned Thro' lilied glades that once were sweet, Trampling the buds that kissed my feet, Until the sword above me burned. My hair was shrivelled to my head, My heart as ashes scorched, and dead As his who ere its beating died. The life imprisoned in my brain Burst to my eyes in throbs of pain, And all their tender springs were dried. For miles and miles the wilds I trod, Drunk with the angry wine of God; Until the nets of anguish broke, Until the prisoner found release. I mused awhile in quietness Upon that strangest liberty: Then other fires intolerably Were kindled in me -- and I spoke; And so attained the hidden Peace, The land of Wells beyond the fire, The Face of loveliness unmarred, The Consummation of desire. O vesper-light! O night thick-starred! O five-fold springs, that upward burst And radiate from Calvary To stay the weary nations' thirst, And hide a world's impurity! -- How one drew near with soiled feet, Through all the Marah overflow, And how the waters were made sweet That night Thou knowest, -- only Thou. Repent with me, for judgment waits. Repent with me, for JESUS hung Three hours upon the nails for you. Rise, bid the angels sing anew At every one of Sion's gates The song which then for me they sung. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...A POEM WITHOUT A NAME: 2 by DIGBY MACKWORTH DOLBEN A PRAYER by DIGBY MACKWORTH DOLBEN A SEA SONG by DIGBY MACKWORTH DOLBEN A SONG OF EIGHTEEN by DIGBY MACKWORTH DOLBEN AFTER READING AESCHYLUS by DIGBY MACKWORTH DOLBEN AFTER READING HOMER by DIGBY MACKWORTH DOLBEN ANACREONTIC by DIGBY MACKWORTH DOLBEN BEYOND by DIGBY MACKWORTH DOLBEN BREVI TEMPORE MAGNUM PERFECIT OPUS by DIGBY MACKWORTH DOLBEN CORE by DIGBY MACKWORTH DOLBEN DUM AGONIZATUR ANIMA, ORENT ASSISTENTES; FRAGMENT by DIGBY MACKWORTH DOLBEN |
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