O breaking heart that will not break, Oriana! O pale, pale face so sweet and meek, Thou smilest, but thou dost not speak, I feel the tears of blood arise Up from my heart unto my eyes, Within thy heart my arrow lies, O cursed hand! O cursed blow! O happy thou that liest low, All night the silence seems to flow Oriana. A weary, weary way I go, Oriana. When Norland winds pipe down the sea, Oriana, I walk, I dare not think of thee, Oriana. Thou liest beneath the greenwood tree, Oriana. I hear the roaring of the sea, Oriana. CIRCUMSTANCE. Two children in two neighbor villages Playing mad pranks along the heathy leas; Two strangers meeting at a festival; Two lovers whispering by an orchard wall · Two lives bound fast in one with golden ease; THE MERMAN. 1. WHO would be A merman bold, Sitting alone, Singing alone Under the sea, With a crown of gold, 2. I would be a merman bold; I would sit and sing the whole of the day; And then we would wander away, away 3. There would be neither moon nor star; But the wave would make music above us afar Neither moon nor star. We would call aloud in the dreamy dells, They would pelt me with starry spangles and shells, But I would throw to them back in mine Turkis and agate and almondine : Then leaping out upon them unseen And kiss them again till they kiss'd me Oh! what a happy life were mine THE MERMAID. 1. WHO would be A mermaid fair, Under the sea, In a golden curl With a comb of pearl, 2. 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 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. 3. But at night I would wander away, away, With the mermen in and out of the rocks; On the broad sea-wolds in the crimson shells, From the diamond-ledges that jut from the dells; 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. SONNET TO J. M. K. My hope and heart is with thee thou wilt be To scare church-harpies from the master's feast; Mounted in heaven wilt shoot into the dark Arrows of lightnings. I will stand and mark. THE LADY OF SHALOTT. PART I. ON either side the river lie Long fields of barley and of rye, And up and down the people go, The island of Shalott. Willows whiten, aspens quiver, By the island in the river Flowing down to Camelot. Four gray walls, and four gray towers, And the silent isle imbowers The Lady of Shalott. By the margin, willow-veil'd, Skimming down to Camelot : But who hath seen her wave her hand? Or at the casement seen her stand? Or is she known in all the land, Only reapers, reaping early Down to tower'd Camelot: And by the moon the reaper weary, Piling sheaves in uplands airy, Listening, whispers, ""T is the fairy Lady of Shalott" |