Poems by William Blake, Songs of Innocence and Experience and the Book of Thel
Poems by William Blake, Songs of Innocence and Experience and the Book of Thel INTRODUCTION Piping down the valleys wild, Piping songs of pleasant glee, On a cloud I saw a child, And he laughing said to me: “Pipe a song about a Lamb!” So I piped with merry cheer. “Piper, pipe that song again;” […]
The Daguerreotype by William Vaughn Moody
The Daguerreotype by William Vaughn Moody This, then, is she, My mother as she looked at seventeen, When she first met my father. Young incredibly, Younger than spring, without the faintest trace Of disappointment, weariness, or tean Upon the childlike earnestness and grace Of the waiting face. Those close-wound ropes of pearl (Or common beads […]
An Ode to the Queen by William Topaz McGonagall
An Ode to the Queen by William Topaz McGonagall All hail to the Empress of India, Great Britain’s Queen! Long may she live in health, happy and serene; Loved by her subjects at home and abroad; Blest may she be when lying down To sleep, and rising up, by the Eternal God; Happy may her […]
A Tribute to Mr Murphy and the Blue Ribbon Army by William Topaz McGonagall
A Tribute to Mr Murphy and the Blue Ribbon Army by William Topaz McGonagall All hail to Mr Murphy, he is a hero brave, That has crossed the mighty Atlantic wave, For what purpose let me pause and think- I answer, to warn the people not to taste strong drink. And, I’m sure, if they […]
A Humble Heroine by William Topaz McGonagall
A Humble Heroine by William Topaz McGonagall ‘Twas at the Seige of Matagarda, during the Peninsular War, That a Mrs Reston for courage outshone any man there by far; She was the wife of a Scottish soldier in Matagarda Port, And to attend to her husband she there did resort. ‘Twas in the Spring of […]
A Christmas Carol by William Topaz McGonagall
A Christmas Carol by William Topaz McGonagall Welcome, sweet Christmas, blest be the morn That Christ our Saviour was born! Earth’s Redeemer, to save us from all danger, And, as the Holy Record tells, born in a manger. Chorus — Then ring, ring, Christmas bells, Till your sweet music o’er the kingdom swells, To warn […]
Homer’s Seeing-Eye Dog by William Matthews
Homer’s Seeing-Eye Dog by William Matthews Most of the time he worked, a sort of sleep with a purpose, so far as I could tell. How he got from the dark of sleep to the dark of waking up I’ll never know; the lax sprawl sleep allowed him began to set from the edges in, […]
An Ode in Time of Hesitation by William Vaughn Moody
An Ode in Time of Hesitation by William Vaughn Moody After seeing at Boston the statue of Robert Gould Shaw, killed while storming Fort Wagner, July 18, 1863, at the head of the first enlisted negro regiment, the Fifty-fourth Massachusetts. I Before the solemn bronze Saint Gaudens made To thrill the heedless passer’s heart with […]
An Address to Shakespeare by William Topaz McGonagall
An Address to Shakespeare by William Topaz McGonagall Immortal! William Shakespeare, there’s none can you excel, You have drawn out your characters remarkably well, Which is delightful for to see enacted upon the stage For instance, the love-sick Romeo, or Othello, in a rage; His writings are a treasure, which the world cannot repay, He […]
French Revolution, The (excerpt) by William Blake
84 Thee the ancientest peer, Duke of Burgundy, rose from the monarch’s right hand, red as wines 85 From his mountains; an odor of war, like a ripe vineyard, rose from his garments, 86 And the chamber became as a clouded sky; o’er the council he stretch’d his red limbs, 87 Cloth’d in flames of […]
I Saw a Chapel by William Blake
I saw a chapel all of gold That none did dare to enter in, And many weeping stood without, Weeping, mourning, worshipping. I saw a serpent rise between The white pillars of the door, And he forc’d and forc’d and forc’d, Down the golden hinges tore. And along the pavement sweet, Set with pearls and […]
Broken Love by William Blake
MY Spectre around me night and day Like a wild beast guards my way; My Emanation far within Weeps incessantly for my sin. ‘A fathomless and boundless deep, There we wander, there we weep; On the hungry craving wind My Spectre follows thee behind. ‘He scents thy footsteps in the snow Wheresoever thou dost go, […]
Auguries Of Innocence by William Blake
To see a world in a grain of sand And a heaven in a wild flower, Hold infinity in the palm of your hand And eternity in an hour. A robin redbreast in a cage Puts all heaven in a rage. A dove-house filled with doves and pigeons Shudders hell through all its regions. A […]
A Parsonage In Oxfordshire by William Wordsworth
Where holy ground begins, unhallowed ends, Is marked by no distinguishable line; The turf unites, the pathways intertwine; And, wheresoe’er the stealing footstep tends, Garden, and that domain where kindred, friends, And neighbours rest together, here confound Their several features, mingled like the sound Of many waters, or as evening blends With shady night. Soft […]
Jonathan: The First Booke by William Alexander
An heroicke Poeme intended. The Argument With Ammons King, griev’d Iabesh did agree, If not reliev’d, their right eyes lost, to live; From this disgrace Saul fights to make them free, And God to him, the victory doth give, Those, who their King (with successe crown’d) did see; Them who him first had scorn’d, to […]
Doomes-Day: The Tenth Houre by William Alexander
The Argument To this great Court, all come from every land, T’attend the sentence of their joy, or paine, And straight the blessed and the damned band, Are here to part, no more to meet againe; But first the wicked and the divell doe stand, Against Christs justice grudging, to complaine: Till both are straight […]
Doomes-Day: The Sixth Houre by William Alexander
The Argument Some who themselves prophanely did defile, And gave to creatures what to God was due; Some whom with bloud, ambition did beguile, Who honour sought where horrour did ensue, Doe here with Witches meet, and strangely vile, Some Parricides and traitours in a crue, Who wanting all that unto grace belong’d, Most vainely […]
Doomes-Day: The Fourth Houre by William Alexander
The Argument A hideous Trumpet horriblie doth sound; Who sleep in Graves a mighty voyce doth wake; By Angels (Messengers) charg’d from each ground, All flesh comes forth that ever soule did take; Seas give account of all whom they have drown’d; The Earth her guests long hid in haste gives backe: Those who then […]
Doomes-Day: The Fifth Houre by William Alexander
The Argument A great Assemblie doth with state begin, And of some soules the processe is surveigh’d, So more to tax the Iews, and Christians sinne, Here in the ballance is before them layd, Each Ethnicks part to be compar’d, brought in In judgement now, their errors to upbraid: Yet all excuses, which such can […]
Doomes-Day: The Eleventh Houre by William Alexander
The Argument Of dolefull hell the horrid seat is sought, Whereas the damned howling still remaine: And in the world as wickedly they wrought, Must suffer what Christ’s justice doth ordaine; The sensuall creatures senses here are brought, By what once pleas’d, now to be rack’d with paine: And with the devils whereas they are […]
Doomes-Day: The Second Houre by William Alexander
The Argument That threatned time which must the world appall, Is (that all may amend) by signes fore-showne, Warres rumor’d are, the Gospell preach’d o’re all, Some Iewes convert, the Antichrist growes knowne: Divels rage, vice raignes, zeale cooles, faith failes, stars fall, All sorts of plagues have the last Trumpet blowne: And by prodigious […]
On The Queen’s Visit To London, The Night Of The 17th March 1789 by William Cowper
When, long sequestered from his throne, George took his seat again, By right of worth, not blood alone Entitled here to reign; Then, Loyalty, with all his lamps New trimmed, a gallant show, Chasing the darkness and the damps, Set London in a glow. ‘Twas hard to tell of streets or squares, Which formed the […]
Olney Hymn 47: The Hidden Life by William Cowper
To tell the Saviour all my wants, How pleasing is the task! Nor less to praise Him when He grants Beyond what I can ask. My laboring spirit vainly seeks To tell but half the joy, With how much tenderness He speaks, And helps me to reply. Nor were it wise, nor should I choose, […]
Olney Hymn 27: Welcome To The Table by William Cowper
This is the feast of heavenly wine, And God invites to sup; The juices of the living Vine Were press’d to fill the cup. Oh! bless the Saviour, ye that eat, With royal dainties fed; Not heaven affords a costlier treat, For Jesus is the bread. The vile, the lost, He calls to them; Ye […]
Lines Addressed To Dr. Darwin, Author Of The ‘Botanic Garden.’ by William Cowper
Two Poets, (poets, by report, Not oft so well agree,) Sweet harmonist of Flora’s court! Conspire to honour thee. They best can judge a poet’s worth, Who oft themselves have known The pangs of a poetic birth By labours of their own. We therefore pleased extol thy song, Though various yet complete, Rich in embellishment […]
Elegy VI. To Charles Diodati, When He Was Visiting In The Country (Translated From Milton) by William Cowper
With no rich viands overcharg’d, I send Health, which perchance you want, my pamper’d friend; But wherefore should thy Muse tempt mine away From what she loves, from darkness into day? Art thou desirous to be told how well I love thee, and in verse? Verse cannot tell. For verse has bounds, and must in […]
Adam: A Sacred Drama. Act 4. by William Cowper
SCENE I. — Volan, CHORUS of Fiery, Airy, Earthly, and Aquatic Spirits. Volan. Forth from a thousand clouds of flame and smoke, From the deep bosom of the spacious earth, I to these scenes a messenger return. Now to the fatal sound Of these entwined pipes, By hissing snakes united, And all attuned to the […]
Adam: A Sacred Drama. Act 2. by William Cowper
SCENE I. — CHORUS OF ANGELS Singing. Now let us garlands weave Of all the fairest flowers, Now at this early dawn, For new-made man, and his companion dear; Let all with festive joy, And with melodious song, Of the great Architect Applaud this noblest work, And speak the joyous sound, Man is the wonder […]
Abbey Assaroe by William Allingham
Abbey Assaroe by William Allingham Gray, gray is Abbey Assaroe, by Belashanny town, It has neither door nor window, the walls are broken down; The carven-stones lie scatter’d in briar and nettle-bed! The only feet are those that come at burial of the dead. A little rocky rivulet runs murmuring to the tide, Singing a […]
The Weather-Beaten Tree by William Barnes
The woaken tree, a-beät at night By stormy winds wi’ all their spite, Mid toss his lim’s, an’ ply, an’ mwoan, Wi’ unknown struggles all alwone; An’ when the day do show his head, A-stripp’d by winds at last a-laid, How vew mid think that didden zee, How night-time had a-tried thik tree. An’ happy […]
The Farmer’s Woldest D’ter by William Barnes
No, no! I ben’t a-runnèn down The pretty maïden’s o’ the town, Nor wishèn o’m noo harm; But she that I would marry vu’st, To sheäre my good luck or my crust, ‘S a-bred up at a farm. In town, a maïd do zee mwore life, An’ I don’t under-reäte her; But ten to woone […]
Leady-Day, An’ Ridden House by William Barnes
Aye, back at Leädy-Day, you know, I come vrom Gullybrook to Stowe; At Leädy-Day I took my pack O’ rottletraps, an’ turn’d my back Upon the weather-beäten door, That had a-screen’d, so long avore, The mwost that theäse zide o’ the greäve, I’d live to have, or die to seäve! My childern, an’ my vier-pleäce, […]
Eclogue:–John An’ Thomas by William Barnes
THOMAS. How b’ye, then, John, to-night; an’ how Be times a-waggèn on w’ ye now? I can’t help slackenèn my peäce When I do come along your pleäce, To zee what crops your bit o’ groun’ Do bear ye all the zummer roun’. ‘Tis true you don’t get fruit nor blooth, ‘Ithin the glassèn houses’ […]
Youth And Beauty by William Carlos Williams
I bought a dishmop— having no daughter— for they had twisted fine ribbons of shining copper about white twine and made a tousled head of it, fastened it upon a turned ash stick slender at the neck straight, tall— when tied upright on the brass wallbracket to be a light for me and naked as […]
Children’s Games by William Carlos Williams
I This is a schoolyard crowded with children of all ages near a village on a small stream meandering by where some boys are swimming bare-ass or climbing a tree in leaf everything is motion elder women are looking after the small fry a play wedding a christening nearby one leans hollering into an empty […]
Gadara, A.D. 31 by John Oxenham
Rabbi, begone! Thy powers Bring loss to us and ours. Our ways are not as Thine. Thou lovest men, we–swine. Oh, get you hence, Omnipotence, And take this fool of Thine! His soul? What care we for his soul? What good to us that Thou hast made him whole, Since we have lost our swine? […]
Dedication by Wole Soyinka
for Moremi, 1963 Earth will not share the rafter’s envy; dung floors Break, not the gecko’s slight skin, but its fall Taste this soil for death and plumb her deep for life As this yam, wholly earthed, yet a living tuber To the warmth of waters, earthed as springs As roots of baobab, as the […]
Civilian and Soldier by Wole Soyinka
My apparition rose from the fall of lead, Declared, ‘I am a civilian.’ It only served To aggravate your fright. For how could I Have risen, a being of this world, in that hour Of impartial death! And I thought also: nor is Your quarrel of this world. You stood still For both eternities, and […]
A New Broom by Witt Wittmann
A New Broom by Witt Wittmann I bought a new broom today and swept the cobwebs down, A thick accumulation of dregs, a mass of tangles and smut. I whisked a conglomeration of dust that forever stuck—inaccessible. Lifted the rug under which was hidden years of grime that Made traversing treacherous with things that trip […]
A Little Te Deum Of The Commonplace by John Oxenham
_With hearts responsive And enfranchised eyes, We thank Thee, Lord,–_ For all things beautiful, and good, and true; For things that seemed not good yet turned to good; For all the sweet compulsions of Thy will That chased, and tried, and wrought us to Thy shape; For things unnumbered that we take of right, And […]