While these unhappy partners of your kind Wide hover round you, like the fowls of heaven, And ask their humble dole.
THERE is a quiet spirit in these woods,
That dwells where'er the gentle south wind blows; Where, underneath the white-thorn, in the glade, The wild flowers bloom, or kissing the soft air, The leaves above their sunny palms outspread. With what a tender and impassioned voice It fills the nice and delicate ear of thought, When the fast ushering star of morning comes O'er-riding the gray hills with golden scarf; Or when the cowled and dusky-sandalled Eve, In mourning weeds, from out the western gate, Departs with silent pace! That spirit moves In the green valley, where the silver brook, From its full laver, pours the white cascade; And, babbling low amid the tangled woods, Slips down through moss-grown stones with endless
And frequent, on the everlasting hills, Its feet go forth, when it doth wrap itself
In all the dark embroidery of the storm,
And shouts the stern, strong wind. And here, amid The silent majesty of these deep woods,
Its presence shall uplift thy thoughts from earth, As to the sunshine and the pure bright air
Their tops the green trees lift. Hence gifted bards Have ever loved the calm and quiet shades; For them there was an eloquent voice in all
The sylvan pomp of woods, the golden sun, The flowers, the leaves, the river on its way, Blue skies, and silver clouds, and gentle winds,— The swelling upland, where the sidelong sun Aslant the wooded slope, at evening, goes,- Groves, through whose broken roof the sky looks in, Mountain, and shattered cliff, and sunny vale, The distant lake, fountains, and mighty trees, In many a lazy syllable repeating
Their old poetic legends to the wind.
THE month is now far spent; and the meridian sın, Most sweetly smiling, with attempered beams, Sheds gently down a mild and grateful warmth; Beneath its yellow lustre, groves and woods, Chequered by one night's frost with various hues, While yet no wind has swept a leaf away, Shine doubly rich. It were a sad delight
Down the smooth stream to glide, and see it tinged Upon each brink with all the gorgeous hues, The yellow, red, or purple of the trees That singly, or in tufts, or forests thick, Adorn the shores ;-to see, perhaps, the side Of some high mount reflected far below, With its bright colors intermixed with spots Of darker green. Yes, it were sweetly sad To wander in the open fields, and hear, E'en at this hour, the noon-day hardly past, The lulling insects of the summer's night; To hear, where lately buzzing swarms were heard, A lonely bee, long roving here and there To find a single flower, but all in vain ;
Then rising quick, and with a louder hum, In widening circles round and round his head, Straight by the listener flying clear away, As if to bid the fields a last adieu;
To hear, within the woodland's sunny side, Late full of music, nothing save, perhaps,
The sound of nut-shells, by the squirrel dropped From some tall beech, fast falling through the leaves
I SEE a column of slow-rising smoke O'ertop the lofty wood that skirts the wild. A vagabond and useless tribe there cat. Their miserable meal. A kettle, slung Between two poles upon a stick transverse, Receives the morsel-flesh obscene of dog, Or vermin, or at best of cock purloined From his accustomed perch. Hard-faring race, They pick their fuel out of every hedge,
Which, kindled with dry leaves, just saves unquenched The spark of life.
(I speak or one from many singled out) One of those heavenly days which cannot die; When, in the eagerness of boyish hope, I left our cottage-threshold, sallying forth With a huge wallet o'er my shoulder slung, A nutting-crook in hand, and turned my steps Towards the distant woods, a figure quaint,
Tricked out in proud disguise of cast-off weeds, Which for that service had been husbanded,
By exhortation of my frugal dame.
Motley accoutrement, of power to smile
At thorns, and brakes, and brambles,—and, in truth, More ragged than need was! Among the woods, And o'er the pathless rocks, I forced my way, Until, at length, I came to one dear nook Unvisited, where not a broken bough
Drooped with its withered leaves, ungracious sign Of devastation, but the hazels rose
Tall and erect, with milk-white clusters hung, A virgin scene!--A little while I stood, Breathing with such suppression of the heart
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