Classic and Contemporary Poetry
MAGIC, by LIONEL PIGOT JOHNSON Poem Explanation Poet Analysis Poet's Biography 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: But my feet hasten through a faery field, Spirits of youth, and life, and gold, concealed: 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 hold the winds oracular, Because I tread the ground, where shadows are: 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, Therefore my name is grown a popular scorn, For I am old! O Mother Nature! thou And I a children's terror! Only now, Leavest me not: wherefore, as night turns morn, 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, Chaired within cloister halls: can they renew Prepare the immortalizing draughts? Can they 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, Earth's deepest doings? Let them have their school Whom Nature fills with her philosophy, 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 They wrong with ignorance a royal choice, Who cavil at my loneliness and labour: Who cavil at my loneliness and labour: For them, the luring wonder of a voice, For them, the luring wonder of a voice, The viol's cry for them, the harp and tabour: The viol's cry for them, the harp and tabour: For me divine austerity, For me divine austerity, And voices of philosophy. And voices of philosophy. Ah! light imaginations, that discern No passion in the citadel of passion: Ah! light imaginations, that discern No passion in the citadel of passion: Their fancies lie on flowers; but my thoughts turn Their fancies lie on flowers; but my thoughts turn To thoughts and things of an eternal fashion: To thoughts and things of an eternal fashion: The majesty and dignity The majesty and dignity Of everlasting verity. Of everlasting verity. Mine is the sultry sunset, when the skies Mine is the sultry sunset, when the skies Tremble with strange, intolerable thunder: Tremble with strange, intolerable thunder: And at the dead of an hushed night, these eyes Draw down the soaring oracles winged with wonder: And at the dead of an hushed night, these eyes Draw down the soaring oracles winged with wonder: From the four winds they come to me, The Angels of Eternity. From the four winds they come to me, The Angels of Eternity. Men pity me; poor men, who pity me! Men pity me; poor men, who pity me! Poor, charitable, scornful souls of pity! 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 Lead Love in triumph through the dancing city: While death and darkness girdle me, While death and darkness girdle me, I grope for immortality. I grope for immortality. 1887 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 | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...LA BELLE DAME SANS MERCI by JOHN KEATS SORCERY by THOMAS BAILEY ALDRICH FIRMILIAN; A TRAGEDY by WILLIAM EDMONSTOUNE AYTOUN A LAY OF ST. DUNSTAN by RICHARD HARRIS BARHAM THE LORD OF THOULOUSE; A LEGEND OF LANGUEDOC by RICHARD HARRIS BARHAM SHRODON FEAR: THE VU'ST PEART by WILLIAM BARNES THE ROMANCE OF THE LILY by THOMAS LOVELL BEDDOES THE SECOND BROTHER; AN UNFINISHED DRAMA by THOMAS LOVELL BEDDOES BY THE STATUE OF KING CHARLES AT CHARING CROSS by LIONEL PIGOT JOHNSON THE CHURCH OF A DREAM; TO BERNHARD BERENSON by LIONEL PIGOT JOHNSON |
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