Others

A Weight with Needles on the pounds

264

A Weight with Needles on the pounds-
To push, and pierce, besides-
That if the Flesh resist the Heft-
The puncture-coolly tries-

That not a pore be overlooked
Of all this Compound Frame-
As manifold for Anguish-
As Species-be-for name-

A Wounded Deer-leaps highest

165

A Wounded Deer-leaps highestI've
heard the Hunter tell'
Tis but the Ecstasy of death-
And then the Brake is still!


The Smitten Rock that gushes!
The trampled Steel that springs!
A Cheek is always redder
Just where the Hectic stings!


Mirth is the Mail of Anguish
In which it Cautious Arm,
Lest anybody spy the blood
And "you're hurt" exclaim!

A Tongue—to tell Him I am true!

400

A Tongue—to tell Him I am true!
Its fee—to be of Gold—
Had Nature—in Her monstrous House
A single Ragged Child—


To earn a Mine—would run
That Interdicted Way,
And tell Him—Charge thee speak it plain—
That so far—Truth is True?


And answer What I do—
Beginning with the Day
That Night—begun—
Nay—Midnight—'twas—
Since Midnight—happened—say—


If once more—Pardon—Boy—
The Magnitude thou may
Enlarge my Message—If too vast
Another Lad—help thee—


Thy Pay—in Diamonds—be—
And His—in solid Gold—
Say Rubies—if He hesitate—
My Message—must be told—


Say—last I said—was This—
That when the Hills—come down—
And hold no higher than the Plain—
My Bond—have just begun—


And when the Heavens—disband—
And Deity conclude—
Then—look for me. Be sure you say—
Least Figure—on the Road—

A transport one cannot contain

184

A transport one cannot contain
May yet a transport be-
Though God forbid it lift the lid-
Unto its Ecstasy!


A Diagram-of Rapture!
A sixpence at a Show-
With Holy Ghosts in Cages!
The Universe would go!

A throe upon the features

71

A throe upon the features-
A hurry in the breath-
An ecstasy of parting
Denominated "Death"-

An anguish at the mention
Which when to patience grown,
I've known permission given
To rejoin its own.

A something in a summer's Day

122

A something in a summer's Day
As slow her flambeaux burn away
Which solemnizes me.

A something in a summer's noon-
A depth-an Azure-a perfume-
Transcending ecstasy.

And still within a summer's night
A something so transporting bright
I clap my hands to see-

Then veil my too inspecting face
Lets such a subtle-shimmering grace
Flutter too far for me-

The wizard fingers never rest-
The purple brook within the breast
Still chafes it narrow bed-

Still rears the East her amber Flag-
Guides still the sun along the Crag
His Caravan of Red-

So looking on-the night-the morn
Conclude the wonder gay-
And I meet, coming thro' the dews
Another summer's Day!

A something in a summer's Day

122

A something in a summer's Day
As slow her flambeaux burn away
Which solemnizes me.

A something in a summer's noon-
A depth-an Azure-a perfume-
Transcending ecstasy.

And still within a summer's night
A something so transporting bright
I clap my hands to see-

Then veil my too inspecting face
Lets such a subtle-shimmering grace
Flutter too far for me-

The wizard fingers never rest-
The purple brook within the breast
Still chafes it narrow bed-

Still rears the East her amber Flag-
Guides still the sun along the Crag
His Caravan of Red-

So looking on-the night-the morn
Conclude the wonder gay-
And I meet, coming thro' the dews
Another summer's Day!

A Solemn thing within the Soul

483

A Solemn thing within the Soul
To feel itself get ripe-
And golden hang-while farther up-
The Maker's Ladders stop-
And in the Orchard far below-
You hear a Being-drop-

A Wonderful-to feel the Sun
Still toiling at the Cheek
You thought was finished-
Cool of eye, and critical of Work-
He shifts the stem-a little-
To give your Core-a look-

But solemnest-to know
Your chance in Harvest moves
A little nearer-Every Sun
The Single-to some lives.

A Shade upon the mind there passes

882

A Shade upon the mind there passes
As when on Noon
A Cloud the mighty Sun encloses
Remembering

That some there be too numb to notice
Oh God
Why give if Thou must take away
The Loved?

A single Screw of Flesh

263

Is all that pins the Soul
That stands for Deity, to Mine,
Upon my side the Veil-


Once witnessed of the Gauze-
Its name is put away
As far from mine, as if no plight
Had printed yesterday,


In tender-solemn Alphabet,
My eyes just turned to see,
When it was smuggled by my sight
Into Eternity-


More Hands-to hold-These are but Two-
One more new-mailed Nerve
Just granted, for the Peril's sake-
Some striding-Giant-Love-


So greater than the Gods can show,
They slink before the Clay,
That not for all their Heaven can boast
Will let its Keepsake-go

A Route of Evanescence

A Route of Evanescence
With a revolving Wheel--
A Resonance of Emerald--
A Rush of Cochineal--
And every Blossom on the Bush
Adjusts its tumbled Head--
The mail from Tunis, probably,
An easy Morning's Ride--

A Route of Evanescence

A Route of Evanescence
With a revolving Wheel--
A Resonance of Emerald--
A Rush of Cochineal--
And every Blossom on the Bush
Adjusts its tumbled Head--
The mail from Tunis, probably,
An easy Morning's Ride--

A precious—mouldering pleasure

371

A precious—mouldering pleasure—'tis—
To meet an Antique Book—
In just the Dress his Century wore—
A privilege—I think—


His venerable Hand to take—
And warming in our own—
A passage back—or two—to make—
To Times when he—was young—


His quaint opinions—to inspect—
His thought to ascertain
On Themes concern our mutual mind—
The Literature of Man—


What interested Scholars—most—
What Competitions ran—
When Plato—was a Certainty—
And Sophocles—a Man—


When Sappho—was a living Girl—
And Beatrice wore
The Gown that Dante—deified—
Facts Centuries before


He traverses—familiar—
As One should come to Town—
And tell you all your Dreams—were true—
He lived—where Dreams were born—


His presence is Enchantment—
You beg him not to go—
Old Volume shake their Vellum Heads
And tantalize—just so—

A Murmur in the Trees-to note

416

A Murmur in the Trees-to note-
Not loud enough-for Wind-
A Star-not far enough to seek-
Nor near enough-to find-


A long-long Yellow-on the Lawn-
A Hubbub-as of feet-
Not audible-as Ours-to Us-
But dapperer-More Sweet-


A Hurrying Home of little Men
To Houses unperceived-
All this-and more-if I should tell-
Would never be believed-


Of Robins in the Trundle bed
How many I espy
Whose Nightgowns could not hide the Wings-
Although I heard them try-


But then I promised ne'er to tell-
How could I break My Word?
So go your Way-and I'll go Mine-
No fear you'll miss the Road.

A Murmur in the Trees-to note

416

A Murmur in the Trees-to note-
Not loud enough-for Wind-
A Star-not far enough to seek-
Nor near enough-to find-


A long-long Yellow-on the Lawn-
A Hubbub-as of feet-
Not audible-as Ours-to Us-
But dapperer-More Sweet-


A Hurrying Home of little Men
To Houses unperceived-
All this-and more-if I should tell-
Would never be believed-


Of Robins in the Trundle bed
How many I espy
Whose Nightgowns could not hide the Wings-
Although I heard them try-


But then I promised ne'er to tell-
How could I break My Word?
So go your Way-and I'll go Mine-
No fear you'll miss the Road.

A nearness to Tremendousness

963

A nearness to Tremendousness-
An Agony procures-
Affliction ranges Boundlessness-
Vicinity to Laws

Contentment's quiet Suburb-
Affliction cannot stay
In Acres-Its Location
Is Illocality-

A loss of something ever felt I

959

A loss of something ever felt I-
The first that I could recollect
Bereft I was-of what I knew not
Too young that any should suspect

A Mourner walked among the children
I notwithstanding went about
As one bemoaning a Dominion
Itself the only Prince cast out-

Elder, Today, a session wiser
And fainter, too, as Wiseness is-
I find myself still softly searching
For my Delinguent Palaces-

And a Suspicion, like a Finger
Touches my Forehead now and then
That I am looking oppositely
For the site of the Kingdom of Heaven-

A Mien to move a Queen

283

A Mien to move a Queen-
Half Child-Half Heroine-
An Orleans in the Eye
That puts its manner by
For humbler Company
When none are near
Even a Tear-
Its frequent Visitor-

A Bonnet like a Duke-
And yet a Wren's Peruke
Were not so shy
Of Goer by-
And Hands-so slight-
They would elate a Sprite
With Merriment-

A Voice that Alters-Low
And on the Ear can go
Like Let of Snow-
Or shift supreme-
As tone of Realm
On Subjects Diadem-

Too small-to fear-
Too distant-to endear-
And so Men Compromise
And just-revere-

A Mien to move a Queen

283

A Mien to move a Queen-
Half Child-Half Heroine-
An Orleans in the Eye
That puts its manner by
For humbler Company
When none are near
Even a Tear-
Its frequent Visitor-

A Bonnet like a Duke-
And yet a Wren's Peruke
Were not so shy
Of Goer by-
And Hands-so slight-
They would elate a Sprite
With Merriment-

A Voice that Alters-Low
And on the Ear can go
Like Let of Snow-
Or shift supreme-
As tone of Realm
On Subjects Diadem-

Too small-to fear-
Too distant-to endear-
And so Men Compromise
And just-revere-

A little bread-a crust-a crumb

159

A little bread-a crust-a crumb-
A little trust-a demijohn-
Can keep the soul alive-
Not portly, mind! but breathing-warmConscious-
as old Napoleon,
The night before the Crown!


A modest lot-A fame petite-
A brief Campaign of sting and sweet
Is plenty! Is enough!
A Sailor's business is the shore!
A Soldier's-balls! Who asketh more,
Must seek the neighboring life!

A little bread-a crust-a crumb

159

A little bread-a crust-a crumb-
A little trust-a demijohn-
Can keep the soul alive-
Not portly, mind! but breathing-warmConscious-
as old Napoleon,
The night before the Crown!


A modest lot-A fame petite-
A brief Campaign of sting and sweet
Is plenty! Is enough!
A Sailor's business is the shore!
A Soldier's-balls! Who asketh more,
Must seek the neighboring life!

A Death blow is a Life blow to Some

816

A Death blow is a Life blow to Some
Who till they died, did not alive become-
Who had they lived, had died but when
They died, Vitality begun.

A doubt if it be Us

859

A doubt if it be Us
Assists the staggering Mind
In an extremer Anguish
Until it footing find.


An Unreality is lent,
A merciful Mirage
That makes the living possible
While it suspends the lives.

A Cloud withdrew from the Sky

895

A Cloud withdrew from the Sky
Superior Glory be
But that Cloud and its Auxiliaries
Are forever lost to me

Had I but further scanned
Had I secured the Glow
In an Hermetic Memory
It had availed me now.

Never to pass the Angel
With a glance and a Bow
Till I am firm in Heaven
Is my intention now.