A HUNDRED times the Summer's fragrant blooms Have laden all the air with sweet perfumes, -- A hundred times along the mountain-side Autumn has flung his crimson banners wide, -- A hundred times has kindly Winter spread His snowy mantle o'er the violet's bed, -- A hundred times has Earth rejoiced to hear The Spring's light footsteps in the forest sere, Since on you grassy knoll the quick, sharp stroke Of the young woodman's axe the silence broke. Not then did these encircling hills look down On quaint old farmhouse or on steepled town. No church-spires pointed to the arching skies; No wandering lovers saw the moon arise; No childish laughter mingled with the song Of the fair Otter, as it flowed along As brightly then as now. Ah! little recked The joyous river, when the sunshine flecked Its dancing wavelets, that no human eye Gave it glad welcome as it frolicked by! The long, uncounted years had come and flown, And it had still swept on, unseen, unknown, Biding its time. No minstrel sang its praise, No poet named it in immortal lays. It played no part in legendary lore, And young Romance knew not its winding shore. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE TASK: BOOK 4. THE WINTER EVENING by WILLIAM COWPER THE CHIMNEY-SWEEPER'S COMPLAINT by MARY (CUMBERLAND) ALCOCK ON THE MANTLEPIECE by JAMES LANE ALLEN THE SHRINE OF VENUS by ANTIPATER OF SIDON EMBLEMS OF LOVE: 38. NO PERJURY IN LOVE by PHILIP AYRES EUTERPE by LUCIUS MORRIS BEEBE THE COMPLAINT OF ANNELIDA TO FALSE ARCITE by ELIZABETH BARRETT BROWNING A FRIENDLY EXPOSTULATION, CONCERNING THE REDEMPTION OF MANKIND by JOHN BYROM |