Poems, &c. (1790) Part 7

Firm rooted in the cloven rock, Loud crashing falls the stubborn oak.

The lightning keen, in wasteful ire, Fierce darting on the lofty spire, Wide rends in twain the ir'n-knit stone, And stately tow'rs are lowly thrown.

Wild flames o'erscour the wide campaign, And plough askance the hissing main.

Nor strength of man may brave the storm, Nor shelter skreen the shrinking form; Nor castle wall its fury stay, Nor masy gate may bar its way.

It visits those of low estate, It shakes the dwellings of the great, It looks athwart the secret tomb, And glares upon the prison's gloom; While dungeons deep, in unknown light, Flash hidious on the wretches' fight, And lowly groans the downward cell, Where deadly silence wont to dwell.

Now upcast eyes to heav'n adore, And knees that never bow'd before.

In stupid wonder flares the child; The maiden turns her glances wild, And lifts to hear the coming roar: The aged shake their locks so h.o.a.r: And stoutest hearts begin to fail, And many a manly cheek is pale; Till nearer closing peals astound, And crashing ruin mingles round; Then 'numbing fear awhile up-binds The pausing action of their minds, Till wak'd to dreadful sense, they lift their eyes, And round the stricken corse, shrill shrieks of horror rise.

Now thinly spreads the falling hall A motly winter o'er the vale, The hailstones bounding as they fall On hardy rock, or storm-beat' wall.

The loud beginning peal its fury checks, Now full, now fainter, with irreg'lar breaks, Then weak in force, unites the scatter'd found; And rolls its lengthen'd grumblings to the distant bound.

A thick and muddy whiteness clothes the sky, In paler flashes gleams the lightning by; And thro' the rent cloud, silver'd with his ray, The sun looks down on all this wild affray; As high enthron'd above all mortal ken, A greater Pow'r beholds the strife of men: Yet o'er the distant hills the darkness scowls, And deep, and long, the parting tempest growls.

WIND.

Pow'r uncontrollable, who hold'st thy sway In the unbounded air, whose trackless way Is in the firmament, unknown of fight, Who bend'st the sheeted heavens in thy might, And lift'st the ocean from its lowest bed To join in middle s.p.a.ce the conflict dread; Who o'er the peopled earth in ruin scours, And buffets the firm rock that proudly low'rs, Thy signs are in the heav'ns. The upper clouds Draw shapeless o'er the sky their misty shrowds; Whilst darker fragments rove in lower bands, And mournful purple cloaths the distant lands.

In gather'd tribes, upon the hanging peak The sea-fowl scream, ill-omen'd creatures shriek: Unwonted sounds groan on the distant wave, And murmurs deep break from the downward cave.

Unlook'd-for gusts the quiet forests shake, And speak thy coming--awful Pow'r, awake!

Like burst of mighty waters wakes the blast, In wide and boundless sweep: thro' regions vast The floods of air in loosen'd fury drive, And meeting currents strong, and fiercely strive.

First wildly raving on the mountain's brow 'Tis heard afar, till o'er the plains below With even rushing force it bears along, And gradual swelling, louder, full, and strong, Breaks wide in scatter'd bellowing thro' the air.

Now is it hush'd to calm, now rous'd to war, Whilst in the pauses of the nearer blast, The farther gusts howl from the distant waste.

Now rushing furious by with loosen'd sweep, Now rolling grandly on, solemn and deep, Its bursting strength the full embodied sound In wide and shallow brawlings scatters round; Then wild in eddies shrill, with rage distraught, And force exhausted, whistles into naught.

With growing might, arising in its room, From far, like waves of ocean onward come Succeeding gusts, and spend their wasteful ire, Then slow, in grumbled mutterings retire: And solemn stillness overawes the land, Save where the tempest growls along the distant strand.

But great in doubled strength, afar and wide, Returning battle wakes on ev'ry side; And rolling on with full and threat'ning sound, In wildly mingled fury closes round.

With bellowings loud, and hollow deep'ning swell, Reiterated hiss, and whistlings shrill, Fierce wars the varied storm, with fury tore, Till all is overwhelm'd in one tremendous roar.

The vexed forest, tossing wide, Uprooted strews its fairest pride; The lofty pine in twain is broke, And crushing falls the knotted oak.

The huge rock trembles in its might; The proud tow'r tumbles from its height; Uncover'd stands the social home; High rocks aloft the city dome; Whilst bursting bar, and flapping gate, And crashing roof, and clatt'ring grate, And hurling wall, and falling spire, Mingle in jarring din and ruin dire.

Wild ruin scours the works of men; Their motly fragments strew the plain.

E'en in the desert's pathless waste, Uncouth destruction marks the blast: And hollow caves whose secret pride, Grotesque and grand, was never ey'd By mortal man, abide its drift, Of many a goodly pillar reft.

Fierce whirling mounts the desert sand, And threats aloft the peopl'd land.

The great expanded ocean, heaving wide, Rolls to the farthest bound its lashing tide; Whilst in the middle deep afar are seen, All stately from the sunken gulfs between, The tow'ring waves, which bend with h.o.a.ry brow, Then dash impetuous to the deep below.

With broader sweepy base, in gather'd might Majestic, swelling to stupendous height, The mountain billow lifts its awful head, And, curving, breaks aloft with roarings dread.

Sublimer still the mighty waters rise, And mingle in the strife of nether skies.

All wildness and uproar, above, beneath, A world immense of danger, dread, and death.

In dumb despair the sailor stands, The frantic merchant wrings his hands, Advent'rous hope clings to the yard, And sinking wretches shriek unheard: Whilst on the land, the matron ill at rest, Thinks of the distant main, and heaves her heavy breast.

The peasants leave their ruin'd home, And o'er the fields distracted roam: Insensible the 'numbed infant sleeps, And helpless bending age, weak and unshelter'd weeps.

Low shrinking fear, in place of state, Skulks in the dwellings of the great.

The rich man marks with careful eye, Each wasteful gust that whistles by; And ill men fear'd with fancied screams Sit list'ning to the creaking beams.

At break of ev'ry rising squall On storm-beat' roof, or ancient wall, Full many a glance of fearful eye Is upward cast, till from on high, From cracking joist, and gaping rent, And falling fragments warning sent, Loud wakes around the wild affray, 'Tis all confusion and dismay.

Now powerful but inconstant in its course, The tempest varies with uncertain force.

Like doleful wailings on the lonely waste, Solemn and dreary sounds the weaning blast.

Exhausted gusts recoiling growl away, And, wak'd anew, return with feebler sway; Save where between the ridgy mountains pent, The fierce imprison'd current strives for vent, With hollow howl, and lamentation deep, Then rushes o'er the plain with partial sweep.

A parting gust o'erscours the weary land, And lowly growls along the distant strand: Light thro' the wood the shiv'ring branches play, And on the ocean far it slowly dies away.

AN ADDRESS TO THE NIGHT.

A FEARFUL MIND.

Uncertain, awful as the gloom of death, The Night's grim shadows cover all beneath.

Shapeless and black is ev'ry object round, And lost in thicker gloom the distant bound.

Each swelling height is clad with dimmer shades, And deeper darkness marks the hollow glades.

The moon in heavy clouds her glory veils, And slow along their pa.s.sing darkness sails; While lesser clouds in parted fragments roam, And red stars glimmer thro' the river's gloom.

Nor cheerful voice is heard from man's abode, Nor sounding footsteps on the neighb'ring road; Nor glimm'ring fire the distant cottage tells; On all around a fearful stillness dwells: The mingled noise of industry is laid, And silence deepens with the nightly shade.

Though still the haunts of men, and shut their light, Thou art not silent, dark mysterious Night, The cries of savage creatures wildly break Upon thy quiet; birds ill-omen'd shriek; Commotions strange disturb the rustling trees; And heavy plaints come on the pa.s.sing breeze.

Far on the lonely waste, and distant way, Unwonted sounds are heard, unknown of day.

With shrilly screams the haunted cavern rings; And heavy treading of unearthly things Sounds loud and hollow thro' the ruin'd dome; Yea, voices issue from the secret tomb.

But lo! a sudden flow of bursting light!

What wild surrounding scenes break on the sight!

Huge rugged rocks uncouthly low'r on high, Whilst on the plain their lengthen'd shadows lie.

The wooded banks in streamy brightness glow; And waving darkness skirts the flood below.

The roving shadow hastens o'er the stream; And like a ghost's pale shrowd the waters glean.

Black fleeting shapes across the valley stray: Gigantic forms tow'r on the distant way: The sudden winds in wheeling eddies change: 'Tis all confus'd, unnatural, and strange.

Now all again in horrid gloom is lost: Wild wakes the breeze like sound of distant host: Bright shoots along the swift returning light: Succeeding shadows close the startled sight.

Some restless spirit holds the nightly sway: Long is the wild, and doubtful is my way.

Inconstant Night, whate'er thy changes be, It suits not man to be alone with thee.

O! for the shelt'ring roof of lowest kind, Secure to rest with others of my hind!

AN ADDRESS TO THE NIGHT.

A DISCONTENTED MIND.

How thick the clouds of night are rang'd o'er head!

Confounding darkness o'er the earth is spread.

The clouded moon her cheering count'nance hides; And feeble stars, between the ragged sides Of broken clouds, with unavailing ray, Look thro' to mock the trav'ller on his way.

Tree, bush, and rugged rock, and hollow dell, In deeper shades their forms confus'dly tell, To cheat the weary wand'rer's doubtful eye; Whilst chilly pa.s.sing winds come ruffling by; And tangled briars perplex the darken'd pa.s.s; And slimy reptiles glimmer on the gra.s.s; And stinging night-flies spend their cursed spite; Unhospitable are thy shades, O Night!

Now hard suspicion bars the creaking door; And safe within the selfish worldlings snore: And wealthy fools are warm in downy bed: And houseless beggars shelter in the shed: And nestling coveys cow'r beneath the brake; While prowling mischief only is awake.

Each hole and den fends forth its cursed brood, And savage b.l.o.o.d.y creatures range the wood.

The thievish vagrant plies his thriftless trade Beneath the friendly shelter of the shade; Whilst boldest risk the lawless robber braves: The day for fools was made, and night for knaves.

O welcome, kindly moon! thy light display, And guide a weary trav'ller on his way.

Hill, wood, and valley, brighten in her beam; And wavy silver glitters on the stream.

The distant path-way shews distinct and clear, From far inviting, but perplex'd when near.

For blackning shadows add deceitful length, And lesser objects gain unwonted strength; Each step misguiding; to the eye unknown, The shining gutter, from the glist'ning stone; While crossing shadows checker o'er the ground, The more perplexing for the brightness round.

Deceitful are thy smiles, untoward Night!

Thy gloom is better than misguiding light.

Then welcome is yon cloud that onward fails, And all this glary shew in darkness veils.

But see how soon the fleeting shade is past, And streamy brightness moots across the waste.