Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE LEGEND OF THORA, by ELIZA KEARY


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE LEGEND OF THORA, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: Up the breezy hill slope, just as day had begun
Last Line: Of golden-haired thora.
Subject(s): Legends, Norse


UP the breezy hill slope, just as day had begun,
Bounded golden-haired Thora, child of the Sun.
"Come, kiss me, May-morning, the winter is done!"
Sang golden-haired Thora.

"Who sings in the dawn?" said the wicked hill Troll,
That sheltered hard by in his dark hidden knoll.
Then he rose from his litter and looked, and the Troll
Saw golden-hair'd Thora.

She passed the Troll's door with a shudder, yet bent
Her way still up the mountain, and ever she went
Singing onwards, so happy and innocent
Was golden-haired Thora.

"That singing shall cease," said the Troll, "by my head!"
Having no heart nor soul, he pledged that instead.
"I'll silence that Spring-bird," the wicked Troll said,
Of golden-haired Thora.

Then he chose three illusions out of his store,
In one he attired himself, and two more
Took loose in his hand, then walked out from his door
After golden-haired Thora,

Who had climbed and had climbed, and for breath standing still,
Was this Spring singing-bird half way up the hill,
When the Troll overtook her his vow to fulfill
On golden-haired Thora.

"Sweet bird of the mountain, fair Thora," said he;
Then she started and turned her head hastily,
Wondering who the companion could be
Of golden-haired Thora.

And lo! a young fisherman stood at her side,
The same she had thought of since last Christmastide,
When he spoke to her kindly and she had replied,
Golden-haired Thora,

Said the Troll to the maid, "There's a palace hard by,
As gold as the sun and as wide as the sky,
Let us build up our home in it, maid, you and I;
Look, golden-haired Thora!"

Then he touched her frail hand, and led her a wee
Little way round a corner of rock, just to see
That palace of gold. There it stood certainly,
For golden-haired Thora.

But "No!" said the maid, "that is too mean a place
For my footsteps to roam in, my beauty to grace,
I should count its long corridors only disgrace
To golden-haired Thora."

Said the Troll to the maid, "There's a cottage below,
In a snug, sheltered corner, about a stone's throw
From the palace; a nook where wild dewberries grow;
Look, golden-haired Thora!"

Then he guided her down a rough crag or two,
And showed her a little low hut; 'gainst the blue
Of the sky rolled the blue chimney smoke. "There with you,"
Said golden-haired Thora.

The Troll opened the door, the maid led the way,
"It's just the right size for us two," she 'gan say,
"To live in and work in and rest in and pray,"
Said golden-haired Thora.

The Troll opened the door. -- It was only a stone
From the side of the hill. -- Thora went in alone,
Right under the ground. Such enchantment was thrown
Over golden-haired Thora.

Then back to his litter of leaves and rank grass
Went the Troll. "There's an end of thy song, silly lass!"
Said the Troll who had brought all this evil to pass
On golden-haired Thora.

But she -- well it chanced that one curl went astray
From the rest of her hair in the mountain doorway,
One gold, golden curl that keeps wandering alway
From golden-haired Thora.

Up the sides of the mountains, in May-time, a glare
Curls over the furze of gold everywhere,
From that Spring singing-bird, the glorious bright hair
Of golden-haired Thora.







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