Hard by a poplar shook alway, She only said, "My life is dreary, And ever when the moon was low, And the shrill winds were up an' away, In the white curtain, to and fro, She saw the gusty shadow sway. But when the moon was very low, And wild winds bound within their cell, The shadow of the poplar fell Upon her bed, across her brow. She only said, "The night is dreary, All day within the dreamy house, The doors upon their hinges creaked; The blue fly sung i' the pane; the mouse Behind the mouldering wainscot shrieked, Or from the crevice peered about. Old faces glimmered through the doors, Old footsteps trod the upper floors, Old voices called her from without. She only said, "My life is dreary, He cometh not," she said; She said, "I am aweary, aweary, I would that I were dead!" The sparrow's chirrup on the roof, The poplar made, did all confound THE MERMAN. WHO Would be A merman bold, Under the sea, With a crown of gold, On a throne? I would be a merman bold; I would sit and sing the whole of the day; Laughingly, laughingly; And then we would wander away, away, There would be neither moon nor star; But the wave would make music above us far; We would call aloud in the dreamy dells, All night merrily, merrily: They would pelt me with starry spangles and shells, But I would throw to them back in mine I would kiss them often under the sea, Oh! what a happy life were mine THE MERMAID. WHO would be Singing alone, Under the sea, In a golden curl, On a throne? I would be a mermaid fair; I would sing to myself the whole of the day; From under my starry sea-bud crown, Low adown and around, And I should look like a fountain of gold Springing alone, With a shrill inner sound, Over the throne In the midst of the hall; Till that great sea-snake under the sea, From his coiled sleeps in the central deeps, Would slowly trail himself sevenfold Round the hall where I sate, and look in at the gate, With his large calm eyes for the love of me. And all the mermen under the sea Would feel their immortality Die in their hearts for the love of me. But at night I would wander away, away, I would fling on each side my low flowing locks And lightly vault from the throne and play With the mermen in and out of the rocks; On the broad seawolds i' the crimson shells, And adown the steep like a wave I would leap, From the diamond ledges that jut from the dells: For I would not be kiss'd by all who list, Of the bold merry mermen under the sea; They would sue me, and woo me, and flatter me, In the purple twilights under the sea; But the king of them all would carry me, Woo me, and win me, and marry me, In the branching jaspers under the sea; Then all the dry pied things that be In the hueless mosses under the sea, Would curl round my silver feet silently, All looking up for the love of me. And if I should carol aloud, from aloft All things that are forked, and horned, and soft Would lean out from the hollow sphere of the sea, All looking down for the love of me. LILIAN. AIRY, fairy Lilian, When I ask her if she love me, Cruel little Lilian. When my passion seeks Pleasance in love-sighs, She, looking through and through me, Thoroughly to undo me, Smiling, never speaks: So innocent-arch, so cunning-simple, |