Stands　she　not　nobly　and　alone？
  Falling　…　her　veriest　stepping…stone
  Shall　form　the　pedestal　of　a　throne　…
  And　who　her　sovereign？　Timour　…　he
  Whom　the　astonished　people　saw
  Striding　o'er　empires　haughtily
  A　diadem'd　outlaw　…
  O！　human　love！　thou　spirit　given；
  On　Earth；　of　all　we　hope　in　Heaven！
  Which　fall'st　into　the　soul　like　rain
  Upon　the　Siroc　wither'd　plain；
  And　failing　in　thy　power　to　bless
  But　leav'st　the　heart　a　wilderness！
  Idea！　which　bindest　life　around
  With　music　of　so　strange　a　sound
  And　beauty　of　so　wild　a　birth　…
  Farewell！　for　I　have　won　the　Earth！
  When　Hope；　the　eagle　that　tower'd；　could　see
  No　cliff　beyond　him　in　the　sky；
  His　pinions　were　bent　droopingly　…
  And　homeward　turn'd　his　soften'd　eye。
  'Twas　sunset：　when　the　sun　will　part
  There　comes　a　sullenness　of　heart
  To　him　who　still　would　look　upon
  The　glory　of　the　summer　sun。
  That　soul　will　hate　the　ev'ning　mist；
  So　often　lovely；　and　will　list
  To　the　sound　of　the　coming　darkness　（known
  To　those　whose　spirits　hearken）　as　one
  Who；　in　a　dream　of　night；　_would_　fly
  But　_cannot_　from　a　danger　nigh。
  What　tho'　the　moon　…　the　white　moon
  Shed　all　the　splendour　of　her　noon；
  Her　smile　is　chilly　…　and　her　beam；
  In　that　time　of　dreariness；　will　seem
  （So　like　you　gather　in　your　breath）
  A　portrait　taken　after　death。
  And　boyhood　is　a　summer　sun
  Whose　waning　is　the　dreariest　one
  For　all　we　live　to　know　is　known；
  And　all　we　seek　to　keep　hath　flown　…
  Let　life；　then；　as　the　day…flower；　fall
  With　the　noon…day　beauty　…　which　is　all。
  I　reach'd　my　home　…　my　home　no　more　…
  For　all　had　flown　who　made　it　so　…
  I　pass'd　from　out　its　mossy　door；
  And；　tho'　my　tread　was　soft　and　low；
  A　voice　came　from　the　threshold　stone
  Of　one　whom　I　had　earlier　known　…
  O！　I　defy　thee；　Hell；　to　show
  On　beds　of　fire　that　burn　below；
  A　humbler　heart　…　a　deeper　wo　…
  Father；　I　firmly　do　believe　…
  I　_know_　…　for　Death；　who　comes　for　me
  From　regions　of　the　blest　afar；
  Where　there　is　nothing　to　deceive；
  Hath　left　his　iron　gate　ajar；
  And　rays　of　truth　you　cannot　see
  Are　flashing　thro'　Eternity
  I　do　believe　that　Eblis　hath
  A　snare　in　ev'ry　human　path　…
  Else　how；　when　in　the　holy　grove
  I　wandered　of　the　idol；　Love；
  Who　daily　scents　his　snowy　wings
  With　incense　of　burnt　offerings
  From　the　most　unpolluted　things；
  Whose　pleasant　bowers　are　yet　so　riven
  Above　with　trelliced　rays　from　Heaven
  No　mote　may　shun　…　no　tiniest　fly
  The　light'ning　of　his　eagle　eye　…
  How　was　it　that　Ambition　crept；
  Unseen；　amid　the　revels　there；
  Till　growing　bold；　he　laughed　and　leapt
  In　the　tangles　of　Love's　very　hair？
  1829。
  ~~~　End　of　Text　~~~
  TO　HELEN
  HELEN；　thy　beauty　is　to　me
  Like　those　Nicean　barks　of　yore；
  That　gently；　o'er　a　perfumed　sea；
  The　weary　way…worn　wanderer　bore
  To　his　own　native　shore。
  On　desperate　seas　long　wont　to　roam；
  Thy　hyacinth　hair；　thy　classic　face；
  Thy　Naiad　airs　have　brought　me　home
  To　the　glory　that　was　Greece；
  And　the　grandeur　that　was　Rome。
  Lo　！　in　yon　brilliant　window…niche
  How　statue…like　I　me　thee　stand；
  The　agate　lamp　within　thy　hand！
  Ah；　Psyche；　from　the　regions　which
  Are　Holy…land　！
  1831。
  ~~~　End　of　Text　~~~
  THE　VALLEY　OF　UNREST
  _Once_　it　smiled　a　silent　dell
  Where　the　people　did　not　dwell；
  They　had　gone　unto　the　wars；
  Trusting　to　the　mild…eyed　stars；
  Nightly；　from　their　azure　towers；
  To　keep　watch　above　the　flowers；
  In　the　midst　of　which　all　day
  The　red　sun…light　lazily　lay。
  _Now_　each　visiter　shall　confess
  The　sad　valley's　restlessness。
  Nothing　there　is　motionless　…
  Nothing　save　the　airs　that　brood
  Over　the　magic　solitude。
  Ah；　by　no　wind　are　stirred　those　trees
  That　palpitate　like　the　chill　seas
  Around　the　misty　Hebrides！
  Ah；　by　no　wind　those　clouds　are　driven
  That　rustle　through　the　unquiet　Heaven
  Uneasily；　from　morn　till　even；
  Over　the　violets　there　that　lie
  In　myriad　types　of　the　human　eye　…
  Over　the　lilies　there　that　wave
  And　weep　above　a　nameless　grave！
  They　wave：　…　from　out　their　fragrant　tops
  Eternal　dews　come　down　in　drops。
  They　weep：　…　from　off　their　delicate　stems
  Perennial　tears　descend　in　gems。
  1831。
  ~~~　End　of　Text　~~~
  ISRAFEL*
  IN　Heaven　a　spirit　doth　dwell
  〃Whose　heart…strings　are　a　lute；〃
  None　sing　so　wildly　well
  As　the　angel　Israfel；
  And　the　giddy　stars　（so　legends　tell）
  Ceasing　their　hymns；　attend　the　spell
  Of　his　voice；　all　mute。
  Tottering　above
  In　her　highest　noon
  The　enamoured　moon
  Blushes　with　love；
  While；　to　listen；　the　red　levin
  （With　the　rapid　Pleiads；　even；
  Which　were　seven；）
  Pauses　in　Heaven
  And　they　say　（the　starry　choir
  And　all　the　listening　things）
  That　Israfeli's　fire
  Is　owing　to　that　lyre
  By　which　he　sits　and　sings　…
  The　trembling　living　wire
  Of　those　unusual　strings。
  *　And　the　angel　Israfel；　whose　heart…strings　are　a　lut；　and　who　has　the
  sweetest　voice　of　all　God's　creatures。　…　KORAN。
  But　the　skies　that　angel　trod；
  Where　deep　thoughts　are　a　duty　…
  Where　Love's　a　grown　up　God　…
  Where　the　Houri　glances　are
  Imbued　with　all　the　beauty
  Which　we　worship　in　a　star。
  Therefore；　thou　art　not　wrong；
  Israfeli；　who　despisest
  An　unimpassion'd　song：
  To　thee　the　laurels　belong
  Best　bard；　because　the　wisest！
  Merrily　live；　and　long！
  The　extacies　above
  With　thy　burning　measures　suit　…
  Thy　grief；　thy　joy；　thy　hate；　thy　love；
  With　the　fervor　of　thy　lute　…
  Well　may　the　stars　be　mute！
  Yes；　Heaven　is　thine；　but　this
  Is　a　world　of　sweets　and　sours；
  Our　flowers　are　merely　…　flowers；
  And　the　shadow　of　thy　perfect　bliss
  Is　the　sunshine　of　ours。
  If　I　could　dwell
  Where　Israfel
  Hath　dwelt；　and　he　where　I；
  He　might　not　sing　so　wildly　well
  A　mortal　melody；
  While　a　bolder　note　than　this　might　swell
  From　my　lyre　within　the　sky。
  1836。
  ~~~　End　of　Text　~~~
  TO　…　…
  1
  The　bowers　whereat；　in　dreams；　I　see
  The　wantonest　singing　birds
  Are　lips　…　and　all　thy　melody
  Of　lip…begotten　words　…
  2
  Thine　eyes；　in　Heaven　of　heart　enshrin'd
  Then　desolately　fall；
  O！　God！　on　my　funereal　mind
  Like　starlight　on　a　pall　…
  3
  Thy　heart　…　_thy_　heart！　…　I　wake　and　sigh；
  And　sleep　to　dream　till　day
  Of　truth　that　gold　can　never　buy　…
  Of　the　trifles　that　it　may。
  1829。
  ~~~　End　of　Text　~~~
  TO　…
  I　HEED　not　that　my　earthly　lot
  Hath…little　of　Earth　in　it
  That　years　of　love　have　been　forgot
  In　the　hatred　of　a　minute：
  I　mourn　not　that　the　desolate
  Are　happier；　sweet；　than　I；
  But　that　you　sorrow　for　my　fate
  Who　am　a　passer…by。
  1829。
  TO　THE　RIVER
  FAIR　river！　in　thy　bright；　clear　flow
  Of　crystal；　wandering　water；
  Thou　art　an　emblem　of　the　glow
  Of　beauty　…　the　unhidden　heart　…
  The　playful　maziness　of　art
  In　old　Alberto's　daughter；
  But　when　within　thy　wave　she　looks　…
  Which　glistens　then；　and　trembles　…
  Why；　then；　the　prettiest　of　brooks
  Her　worshipper　resembles；
  For　in　my　heart；　as　in　thy　stream；
  Her　image　deeply　lies　…
  His　heart　which　trembles　at　the　beam
  Of　her　soul…searching　eyes。
  1829。
  ~~~　End　of　Text　~~~
  SONG
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~
  I　SAW　thee　on　thy　bridal　day　…
  When　a　burning　blush　came　o'er　thee；
  Though　happiness　around　thee　lay；
  The　world　all　love　before　thee：
  And　in　thine　eye　a　kindling　light
  （Whatever　it　might　be）
  Was　all　on　Earth　my　aching　sight
  Of　Loveliness　could　see。
  That　blush；　perhaps；　was　maiden　shame　…
  As　such　it　well　may　pass　…
  Though　its　glow　hath　raised　a　fiercer　flame
  In　the　breast　of　him；　alas！
  Who　saw　thee　on　that　bridal　day；
  When　that　deep　blush　_would_　come　o'er　thee；
  Though　happiness　around　thee　lay；
  The　world　all　love　before　thee。
  1827。
  ~~~　End　of　Text　~~~
  SPIRITS　OF　THE　DEAD
  1
  Thy　soul　shall　find　itself　alone
  'Mid　dark　thoughts　of　the　grey　tomb…stone　…
  Not　one；　of　all　the　crowd；　to　pry
  Into　thine　hour　of　secrecy：
  2
  Be　silent　in　that　solitude
  Which　is　not　loneliness　…　for　then
  The　spirits　of　the　dead　who　stood
  In　life　before　thee　are　again
  In　death　around　thee　…　　and　their　will
  Shall　then　overshadow　thee：　be　still。
  3
  For　the　night　…　tho'　clear　…　shall　frown　…
  And　the　stars　shall　look　not　down；
  From　their　high　thrones　in　the　Heaven；
  With　light　like　Hope　to　mortals　given　…
  But　their　red　orbs；　without　beam；
  To　thy　weariness　shall　seem
  As　a　burning　and　a　fever
  Which　would　cling　to　thee　for　ever　：
  4
  Now　are　thoughts　thou　shalt　not　banish　…
  Now　are　visions　ne'er　to　vanish　…
  From　thy　spirit　shall　they　pass
  No　more　…　like　dew…drop　from　the　grass：
  5
  The　breeze　…　the　breath　of　God　…　is　still　…
  And　the　mist　upon　the　hill
  Shadowy　…　shadowy　…　yet　unbroken；
  Is　a　symbol　and　a　token　…
  How　it　hangs　upon　the　trees；
  A　mystery　of　mysteries！　…
  1827。
  ~~~　End　of　Text　~~~