Poems

Chapter 32: A SONG.

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About This Book

A varied collection of lyrical and occasional poems encompassing light social verse, pastoral descriptions, travel pieces gathered from earlier fugitive publication, and personal elegies. Pieces range from tranquil nature scenes and grotto meditations to expressions of romantic longing and formal dedications; a prominent elegy mourns a beloved brother and traces grief and memory. The preface frames the poems as modest divertissements written across youth and maturity, and some material derives from the author's tours. The tone alternates between playful, reflective, and mournful, favoring accessible meters and conventional poetic imagery rather than experimental forms.

A SONG.

TO THE MOON.

Thou, lamp! the gods benignly gave,
    To light a lover on his way;
Thou, Moon! along the silv’ry wave,
    Ah! safe this flutt’ring heart convey:—

Sweet is thy light, and sweet thy shade,
    The guide and guardian of our bliss,
A lover’s panting lips to lead,
    Or veil him in the ravish’d kiss.

Her white robe floats upon the air;
    My Lyra hears the dashing oar:
Ye floods, oh! speed me to my fair!
    My soul is with her long before.

Oh! lightly haste, thy lover view,
    And ev’ry anxious fear resign;
Ye tow’rs, no longer fear’d, adieu!
    The treasure which ye held is mine!