The Complete Poetical Works of Percy Bysshe Shelley Part 139

'Still alive and still bold,' shouted Earth, _25 'I grow bolder and still more bold.

The dead fill me ten thousandfold Fuller of speed, and splendour, and mirth.

I was cloudy, and sullen, and cold, Like a frozen chaos uprolled, _30 Till by the spirit of the mighty dead My heart grew warm. I feed on whom I fed.

'Ay, alive and still bold.' muttered Earth, 'Napoleon's fierce spirit rolled, In terror and blood and gold, _35 A torrent of ruin to death from his birth.

Leave the millions who follow to mould The metal before it be cold; And weave into his shame, which like the dead Shrouds me, the hopes that from his glory fled.' _40

SONNET: POLITICAL GREATNESS.

[Published by Mrs. Sh.e.l.ley, "Posthumous Poems", 1824. There is a transcript, headed "Sonnet to the Republic of Benevento", in the Harvard ma.n.u.script book.]

Nor happiness, nor majesty, nor fame, Nor peace, nor strength, nor skill in arms or arts, Shepherd those herds whom tyranny makes tame; Verse echoes not one beating of their hearts, History is but the shadow of their shame, _5 Art veils her gla.s.s, or from the pageant starts As to oblivion their blind millions fleet, Staining that Heaven with obscene imagery Of their own likeness. What are numbers knit By force or custom? Man who man would be, _10 Must rule the empire of himself; in it Must be supreme, establishing his throne On vanquished will, quelling the anarchy Of hopes and fears, being himself alone.

THE AZIOLA.

[Published by Mrs. Sh.e.l.ley in "The Keepsake", 1829.]

1.

'Do you not hear the Aziola cry?

Methinks she must be nigh,'

Said Mary, as we sate In dusk, ere stars were lit, or candles brought; And I, who thought _5 This Aziola was some tedious woman, Asked, 'Who is Aziola?' How elate I felt to know that it was nothing human, No mockery of myself to fear or hate: And Mary saw my soul, _10 And laughed, and said, 'Disquiet yourself not; 'Tis nothing but a little downy owl.'

2.

Sad Aziola! many an eventide Thy music I had heard By wood and stream, meadow and mountain-side, _15 And fields and marshes wide,-- Such as nor voice, nor lute, nor wind, nor bird, The soul ever stirred; Unlike and far sweeter than them all.

Sad Aziola! from that moment I _20 Loved thee and thy sad cry.

NOTES: _4 ere stars]ere the stars editions 1839.

_9 or]and editions 1839.

_19 them]they editions 1839.

A LAMENT.

[Published by Mrs. Sh.e.l.ley, "Posthumous Poems", 1824.]

1.

O world! O life! O time!

On whose last steps I climb, Trembling at that where I had stood before; When will return the glory of your prime?

No more--Oh, never more! _5

2.

Out of the day and night A joy has taken flight; Fresh spring, and summer, and winter h.o.a.r, Move my faint heart with grief, but with delight No more--Oh, never more! _10

REMEMBRANCE.

[Published by Mrs. Sh.e.l.ley, "Posthumous Poems", 1824, where it is ent.i.tled "A Lament". Three ma.n.u.script copies are extant: The Trelawny ma.n.u.script ("Remembrance"), the Harvard ma.n.u.script ("Song") and the Houghton ma.n.u.script--the last written by Sh.e.l.ley on a flyleaf of a copy of "Adonais".]

1.

Swifter far than summer's flight-- Swifter far than youth's delight-- Swifter far than happy night, Art thou come and gone-- As the earth when leaves are dead, _5 As the night when sleep is sped, As the heart when joy is fled, I am left lone, alone.

2.

The swallow summer comes again-- The owlet night resumes her reign-- _10 But the wild-swan youth is fain To fly with thee, false as thou.-- My heart each day desires the morrow; Sleep itself is turned to sorrow; Vainly would my winter borrow _15 Sunny leaves from any bough.

3.

Lilies for a bridal bed-- Roses for a matron's head-- Violets for a maiden dead-- Pansies let MY flowers be: _20 On the living grave I bear Scatter them without a tear-- Let no friend, however dear, Waste one hope, one fear for me.

NOTES: _5-_7 So editions 1824, 1839, Trelawny ma.n.u.script, Harvard ma.n.u.script; As the wood when leaves are shed, As the night when sleep is fled, As the heart when joy is dead Houghton ma.n.u.script.

_13 So editions 1824, 1839, Harvard ma.n.u.script, Houghton ma.n.u.script.

My heart to-day desires to-morrow Trelawny ma.n.u.script.

_20 So editions 1824, 1839, Harvard ma.n.u.script, Houghton ma.n.u.script.

Sadder flowers find for me Trelawny ma.n.u.script.

_24 one hope, one fear]a hope, a fear Trelawny ma.n.u.script.

TO EDWARD WILLIAMS.

[Published in Ascham's edition of the "Poems", 1834.

There is a copy amongst the Trelawny ma.n.u.scripts.]

1.

The serpent is shut out from Paradise.

The wounded deer must seek the herb no more In which its heart-cure lies: The widowed dove must cease to haunt a bower Like that from which its mate with feigned sighs _5 Fled in the April hour.

I too must seldom seek again Near happy friends a mitigated pain.

2.

Of hatred I am proud,--with scorn content; Indifference, that once hurt me, now is grown _10 Itself indifferent; But, not to speak of love, pity alone Can break a spirit already more than bent.

The miserable one Turns the mind's poison into food,-- _15 Its medicine is tears,--its evil good.

3.

Therefore, if now I see you seldomer, Dear friends, dear FRIEND! know that I only fly Your looks, because they stir Griefs that should sleep, and hopes that cannot die: _20 The very comfort that they minister I scarce can bear, yet I, So deeply is the arrow gone, Should quickly perish if it were withdrawn.

4.

When I return to my cold home, you ask _25 Why I am not as I have ever been.

YOU spoil me for the task Of acting a forced part in life's dull scene,-- Of wearing on my brow the idle mask Of author, great or mean, _30 In the world's carnival. I sought Peace thus, and but in you I found it not.

5.

Full half an hour, to-day, I tried my lot With various flowers, and every one still said, 'She loves me--loves me not.' _35 And if this meant a vision long since fled-- If it meant fortune, fame, or peace of thought-- If it meant,--but I dread To speak what you may know too well: Still there was truth in the sad oracle. _40