Even such love is; and is not thy name Love? Yea, by thy hand the Love-god rends apart All gathering clouds of Night's ambiguous art; Flings them far down, and sets thine eyes above; And simply, as some gage of flower or glove, Stakes with a smile the world against thy heart. XXXI. HER GIFTS HIGH grace, the dower of queens; and therewithal Some wood-born wonder's sweet simplicity; A glance like water brimming with the sky Or hyacinth-light where forest-shadows fall: Such thrilling pallor of cheek as doth enthral The heart; a mouth whose passionate forms imply All music and all silence held thereby ; Deep golden locks, her sovereign coronal; A round reared neck, meet column of Love's shrine To cling to when the heart takes sanctuary; Hands which for ever at Love's bidding be, And soft-stirred feet still answering to Than thou, 'mid other ladies throned in grace?— Or Pallas, when thou bend'st with soulstilled face O'er poet's page gold-shadowed in thy hair? Dost thou than Venus seem less heavenly fair When o'er the sea of love's tumultuous trance Hovers thy smile, and mingles with thy glance That sweet voice like the last wave murmuring there? Before such triune loveliness divine Awestruck I ask, which goddess here most claims The prize that, howsoe'er adjudged, is thine? Then Love breathes low the sweetest of thy names; And Venus Victrix to my heart doth bring Herself, the Helen of her guerdoning. XXXIV. THE DARK GLASS NOT I myself know all my love for thee: How should I reach so far, who cannot weigh To-morrow's dower by gage of yesterday? Shall birth and death, and all dark names that be As doors and windows bared to some loud sea, Lash deaf mine ears and blind my face with spray: And shall my sense pierce love,-the last relay And ultimate outpost of eternity? One little heart-flame sheltered in his hand. XLVIII. DEATH-IN-LOVE THERE came an image in Life's retinue That had Love's wings and bore his gonfalon : Fair was the web, and nobly wrought thereon, O soul-sequestered face, thy form and hue! Bewildering sounds, such as Spring wakens to, Shook in its folds; and through my heart its power Sped trackless as the immemorable hour When birth's dark portal groaned and all was new. But a veiled woman followed, and she caught The banner round its staff, to furl and cling, Then plucked a feather from the bearer's wing, And held it to his lips that stirred it not, And said to me, "Behold, there is no breath: I and this Love are one, and I am Death." LV. STILLBORN LOVE THE hour which might have been yet might not be, Which man's and woman's heart conceived and bore Yet whereof life was barren, on what shore Bides it the breaking of Time's weary sea? Bondchild of all consummate joys set free, It somewhere sighs and serves, and mute before The house of Love, hears through the echoing door His hours elect in choral consonancy. But lo! what wedded souls now hand in hand Together tread at last the immortal strand With eyes where burning memory lights love home? Ah! who shall say she deems not loveliest The hour of sisterly sweet hand-in-hand? LVIII. TRUE WOMAN-III. HER HEAVEN IF to grow old in Heaven is to grow young, (As the Seer saw and said,) then blest were he With youth for evermore, whose heaven should be True Woman, she whom these weak notes have sung, Here and hereafter,-choir-strains of her tongue, Sky-spaces of her eyes,-sweet signs that flee About her soul's immediate sanctuary,— Were Paradise all uttermost worlds The Holy of holies; who because they scoff'd Are now amazed with shame, nor dare to cope With the whole truth aloud, lest heaven should ope; Yet, at their meetings, laugh not as they laugh'd In speech; nor speak, at length; but sitting oft Together, within hopeless sight of hope For hours are silent :—So it happenetĥ When Work and Will awake too late, to gaze After their life sailed by, and hold their breath. Ah! who shall dare to search through what sad maze Thenceforth their incommunicable ways Follow the desultory feet of Death? |