A little way, more soft and sweet

At the white feet of grief,Seeing how with covered face and plumeless wings,With unreverted headVeiled, as who mourns his dead,Lay Freedom couched between the thrones of kings,A wearied lion without lair,And bleeding from base wounds, and vexed with alien air.STR. 2Who was it, who, put poison to thy mouth,Who lulled with craft or chant thy…

Where help is none to borrow,What shall be done?In vain his hands have spunThe web, or drawn the furrow:No rest their toil hath won.His task is all gone thorough,And fruit thereof is none:And who dare say to-morrowWhat shall be done?

Though two great spirits had lived, and hence had spedUnreconciled;Though time and change, harsh time’s imperious child,That wed strange hands together, might not wedHigh hearts by hope’s misprision once beguiled;Faith, by the light from either’s memory shed,Sees, radiant as their ends were undefiled,One goal for each–not twain among the deadUnreconciled.

The hall of heaven was clear for night’s high feast,Yet was not yet day’s fiery heart at restLove leapt up from his mother’s burning breastTo see those warm twin lights, as day decreased,Wax wider, till when all the sun had ceasedAs suns they shone from evening’s kindled crestAcross them and between, a quickening fire,Flamed Venus,…

Seeing for each brought forth a fairChild,By thy gracious brows, and wildGolden-clouded heaven of hair,By thine eyes elate and mild,Hope would fain take heart to swearMen should yet be reconciled,Seeing the sign she bids thee bear,Child.

Can even thine eyes be certain of her headWho never passed out of thy spirit’s eyes,But stood and shone before them in such wiseAs when with love her lips and hands were fed,And with mute mouth out of the dusty deadStrove to make answer when thou bad’st her rise.Yet viper-stricken must her lifeblood feelThe fang…