Soul

Before you thought of spring,

Before you thought of spring,
Except as a surmise,
You see, God bless his suddenness,
A fellow in the skies
Of independent hues,
A little weather-worn,
Inspiriting habiliments
Of indigo and brown.


With specimens of song,
As if for you to choose,
Discretion in the interval,
With gay delays he goes
To some superior tree
Without a single leaf,
And shouts for joy to nobody
But his seraphic self!

Arcturus


"Arcturus" is his other name—
I'd rather call him "Star."
It's very mean of Science
To go and interfere!


I slew a worm the other day—
A "Savant" passing by
Murmured "Resurgam"—"Centipede"!
"Oh Lord—how frail are we"!


I pull a flower from the woods—
A monster with a glass
Computes the stamens in a breath—
And has her in a "class"!


Whereas I took the Butterfly
Aforetime in my hat—
He sits erect in "Cabinets"—
The Clover bells forgot.


What once was "Heaven"
Is "Zenith" now—
Where I proposed to go
When Time's brief masquerade was done
Is mapped and charted too.


What if the poles should frisk about
And stand upon their heads!
I hope I'm ready for "the worst"—
Whatever prank betides!


Perhaps the "Kingdom of Heaven's" changed—
I hope the "Children" there Won't be "new fashioned" when I come—
And laugh at me—and stare—


I hope the Father in the skies
Will lift his little girl—
Old fashioned—naught—everything—
Over the stile of "Pearl."

Always Mine!

839

Always Mine!
No more Vacation!
Term of Light this Day begun!
Failless as the fair rotation
Of the Seasons and the Sun.


Old the Grace, but new the Subjects-
Old, indeed, the East,
Yet upon His Purple Programme
Every Dawn, is first.

Ample make this bed.

Ample make this bed.
Make this bed with awe;
In it wait till judgment break
Excellent and fair.


Be its mattress straight,
Be its pillow round;
Let no sunrise' yellow noise
Interrupt this ground.

Alter! When the Hills do

729

Alter! When the Hills do-
Falter! When the Sun
Question if His Glory
Be the Perfect One-

Surfeit! When the Daffodil
Doth of the Dew-
Even as Herself-Sir-
I will-of You-

All these my banners be

22

All these my banners be.
I sow my pageantry
In May-
It rises train by train-
Then sleeps in state again-
My chancel-all the plain

Today.

To lose-if one can find again-
To miss-if one shall meet-
The Burglar cannot rob-then-
The Broker cannot cheat.
So build the hillocks gaily
Thou little spade of mine
Leaving nooks for Daisy
And for Columbine-
You and I the secret
Of the Crocus know-
Let us chant it softly"
There is no more snow!"

To him who keeps an Orchis' heart-
The swamps are pink with June.

All overgrown by cunning moss

148

All overgrown by cunning moss,
All interspersed with weed,
The little cage of "Currer Bell"
In quiet "Haworth" laid.


Gathered from many wanderings-
Gethsemane can tell
Thro' what transporting anguish
She reached the Asphodel!


Soft falls the sounds of Eden
Upon her puzzled ear-
Oh what an afternoon for Heaven,
When "Bronte" entered there!

All forgot for recollecting

966

All forgot for recollecting
Just a paltry One-
All forsook, for just a Stranger's
New Accompanying-

Grace of Wealth, and Grace of Station
Less accounted than
An unknown Esteem possessingEstimate-
Who can-

Home effaced-Her faces dwindledNature-
altered smallSun-
if shone-or Storm-if shattered-
Overlooked I all


Dropped-my fate-a timid Pebble-
In thy bolder SeaProve-
me-Sweet-if I regret it-
Prove Myself-of Thee-

All but Death, can be Adjusted

749

All but Death, can be Adjusted-
Dynasties repairedSystems-
settled in their SocketsCitadels-
dissolved-

Wastes of Lives-resown with Colors
By Succeeding SpringsDeath-
unto itself-Exception-
Is exempt from Change-

Ah, Moon—and Star!

240

Ah, Moon—and Star!
You are very far—
But were no one
Farther than you—
Do you think I'd stop
For a Firmament—
Or a Cubit—or so?


I could borrow a Bonnet
Of the Lark—
And a Chamois' Silver Boot—
And a stirrup of an Antelope—
And be with you—Tonight!


But, Moon, and Star,
Though you're very far—
There is one—farther than you—
He—is more than a firmament—from Me—
So I can never go!

After great pain, a formal feeling comes -- (341)

After great pain, a formal feeling comes --
The Nerves sit ceremonious, like Tombs
The stiff Heart questions, was it He, that bore,
And Yesterday, or Centuries before?


The Feet, mechanical, go round --
Of Ground, or Air, or Ought --
A Wooden way
Regardless grown,
A Quartz contentment, like a stone --


This is the Hour of Lead --
Remembered, if outlived,
As Freezing persons, recollect the Snow --
First -- Chill -- then Stupor -- then the letting go --

Absence disembodies—so does Death

860

Absence disembodies—so does Death
Hiding individuals from the Earth
Superposition helps, as well as love—
Tenderness decreases as we prove—

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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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-