Oh! deathful stabs were dealt apace, The battle deepen'd in its place, Oriana; But I was down upon my face, 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; They should have stabb'd me where I lay, Two lives bound fast in one with golden Oriana ! How could I rise and come away, ease; Neither moon nor star. We would call aloud in the dreamy dells, Call to each other and whoop and cry All night, merrily, merrily; They would pelt me with starry spangles and shells, Laughing and clapping their hands between, All night, merrily, merrily: But I would throw to them back in mine Turkis and agate and almondine : O, what a happy life were mine THE MERMAID. I. WHO would be II. I would be a mermaid fair; I would sing to myself the whole of the day; With a comb of pearl I would comb my hair; And still as I comb'd I would sing and say, "Who is it loves me? who loves not me?" I would comb my hair till my ringlets would fall Low adown, low adown, From under my starry sea-bud crown Low adown and around, And I should look like a fountain of With a shrill inner sound, 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. 111. But at night I would wander away, away, I would fling on each side my lowflowing locks, And lightly vault from the throne and play With the mermen in and out of the rocks; We would run to and fro, and hide and seek, On the broad sea-wolds in the crimson shells, Whose silvery spikes are nighest the sea. But if any came near I would call, and shriek, 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 would 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; Would lean out from the hollow sphere of the sea, All looking down for the love of me. Our dusted velvets have much need of The humming of the drowsy pulpit-drone Half God's good sabbath, while the worn thee: Thou art no sabbath-drawler of old saws, Distill'd from some worm canker'd out clerk Brow-beats his desk below. Thou from a throne Mounted in heaven wilt shoot into the dark Arrows of lightnings. I will stand and mark. POEMS. (PUBLISHED 1832.) [This division of this volume was published in the winter of 1832. Some of the poems have been considerably altered. Others have been added, which, with one exception, were written in 1833.] THE LADY OF SHALOTT. PART I. ON either side the river lie Long fields of barley and of rye, To many-tower'd Camelot ; And up and down the people go, The island of Shalott. Willows whiten, aspens quiver, Flowing down to Camelot. The Lady of Shalott. By the margin, willow-veil'd, Skimming down to Camelot : But who hath seen her wave her hand? Only reapers, reaping early Hear a song that echoes cheerly Down to tower'd Camelot : And by the moon the reaper weary, Piling sheaves in uplands airy, Listening, whispers "Tis the fairy Lady of Shalott." PART II. THERE she weaves by night and day To look down to Camelot. And moving thro' a mirror clear There the river eddy whirls, Sometimes a troop of damsels glad, The knights come riding two and two: But in her web she still delights And music, went to Camelot : PART III. A BOW-SHOT from her bower-eaves, A red-cross knight for ever kneel'd The gemmy bridle glitter'd free, As he rode down to Camelot : Beside remote Shalott. All in the blue unclouded weather Thick-jewell'd shone the saddle-leather, The helmet and the helmet-feather As often thro' the purple night, His broad clear brow in sunlight glow'd; As he rode down to Camelot. Sang Sir Lancelot. She left the web, she left the loom, She made three paces thro' the room, In the stormy east-wind straining, Heavily the low sky raining Over tower'd Camelot ; And down the river's dim expanse· Did she look to Camelot. Lying, robed in snowy white She floated down to Camelot : Heard a carol, mournful, holy, Turn'd to tower'd Camelot ; The Lady of Shalott. Under tower and balcony, |