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Classic and Contemporary Poetry
MARILINE, SELECTION, by CHARLES SANGSTER Poet's Biography First Line: At the wheel plied mariline Last Line: To the brow of mariline. Subject(s): Man-woman Relationships; Marriage; Nature; Women; Male-female Relations; Weddings; Husbands; Wives | |||
I At the wheel plied Mariline, Beauteous and self-serene, Never dreaming of that mien Fit for lady or for queen. Never sang she, but her words, Music-laden, swept the chords Of the heart, that eagerly Stored the subtle melody, Like the honey in the bee; Never spake, but showed that she Held the golden master-key That unlocked all sympathy Pent in souls where Feeling glows, Like the perfume in the rose, Like her own innate repose, Like the whiteness in the snows. Richly thoughted Mariline! Nature's heiress!—nature's queen! II By her side, with liberal look, Paused a student o'er a book, Wielder of a shepherd's crook, Reveller by grove and brook: With exalted eye serene Gazed he on fair Mariline. Swifter whirled the busy wheel, Piled the thread upon the reel— Saw she not his spirit kneel, Praying for her after-weal? Like the wife of Collatine, Busily spun Mariline. V Brightly broke the summer morn, Like a lark from out the corn,— Broke like joy just newly born From the depths of woe forlorn,— Broke with grateful songs of birds, Lowings of well-pastured herds; Hailed by childhood's happy looks, Cheered by anthems of the brooks— Chants beyond the lore of books— Cawing crows, instead of rooks. Glowed the heavens—rose the sun, Mariline was up, for one. VI Like a chatterer tongue-tied, Lo, the wheel is placed aside!— Not from indolence or pride— Mariline must be a Bride! Fairest maid of maids terrene! Bride of Brides, dear Mariline! X Up the air, across the moor, As they left the cottage door, Chimed the merry village-bells, Music-wrapt the neighbouring fells, Stirred the heart's awakened cells, Like fine strains from fairy dells. Past the orchard, down the lane, By fresh wavy fields of grain, By the brook, that told its love To the pasture, glen, and grove— Sacred haunts, that well could prove Vows enregistered above. By the restless mill, where stood, Bowing in his amplest mood, The old miller, hat in hand, Rich in goodness, rich in land, On whose features, grave and bland, Glowed a blessing for the band. Through the village, where, behind Many a half-uplifted blind, Eyes, that might have lit the skies Of Mahomet's Paradise, Flashed behind the curtains' dyes, With a cheerful, half-surprise. Through the village, underneath Many a blooming flower-wreath Garlanding the arches green Reared in honour of the queen Of this day of days serene, Day of days to Mariline. To the church, whose cheering bells Told the tale in music-swells— Told it to the country wide, With an earnest kind of pride— Something not to be denied— "Mariline must be a Bride!" XIII Ye whose souls are strong and firm, In whom love's electric germ Has been fanned into a flame At the mention of a name; Ye whose souls are still the same As when first the Victor came, Stinging every nerve to life, In the beatific strife, Till the man's divinest part Ruled triumphant in the heart, And, with shrinking, sudden start, The bleak old world stood apart, Periling the wild Ideal By the presence of the Real: Ye, and ye alone, can know How these twain souls burn and glow, Can interpret every throe Of the full heart's overflow, That imparts that light serene To the brow of Mariline. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...A BLESSING FOR A WEDDING by JANE HIRSHFIELD A SUITE FOR MARRIAGE by DAVID IGNATOW ADVICE TO HER SON ON MARRIAGE by MARY BARBER THE RABBI'S SON-IN-LAW by SABINE BARING-GOULD KISSING AGAIN by DORIANNE LAUX A TIME PAST by DENISE LEVERTOV AN AUTUMN CHANGE, FR. THE HAPPY HARVESTERS by CHARLES SANGSTER |
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