I see thee glittering from afar- Yet like a star, with glittering crest, Self-poised in air thou seem'st to rest ;— Bright Flower! for by that name at last, I call thee, and to that cleave fast, That breath'st with me in sun and air; TO THE SAME FLOWER, BRIGHT Flower! whose home is everywhere, And all the long year through, the heir Methinks that there abides in thee Some concord with humanity, Given to no other flower I see Is it that Man is soon deprest? A thoughtless Thing! who, once unblest, 1805. Or on his reason, And Thou would'st teach him how to find A hope for times that are unkind Thou wander'st the wide world about, Meek, yielding to the occasion's call, 1803. TO THE SAME FLOWER.* SWEET Flower! belike one day to have But He, who was on land, at sea, Ah! hopeful, hopeful was the day * This beautiful poem was written in commemoration of the death of the Poet's brother, John Wordsworth, who commanded the Abergavenny, " E. I. Company's ship, and was wrecked near the shore of the Isle of Wight, February, 1805. To govern and to guide: His wish was gained: a little time And full of hope day followed day While that stout Ship at anchor lay The May had then made all things green; And, floating there, in pomp serene, That Ship was goodly to be seen, Yet then, when called ashore, he sought To your abodes, bright daisy Flowers! But hark the word !—the ship is gone ;- Once more on English earth they stand : Ill-fated Vessel!-ghastly shock! -At length delivered from the rock, The deep she hath regained; And through the stormy night they steer; To reach a safer shore-how near, "Silence!" the brave Commander cried; -A few (my soul oft sees that sight) Six weeks beneath the moving sea To quit the Ship for which he died, And there they found him at her side; Vain service! yet not vainly done * As this stanza was originally published, it contained-probably through inadvertence-eight lines, while the rest of the stanzas contained but seven. The condensation required in order to get rid of the line, certainly improves the stanza, and it shows how much at home Wordsworth was in "the accomplishment of verse." The stanza stood thus: Silence the brave commander cried, To that calm word a shriek replied, It was the last death-shriek. -A few appear by morning light Preserved upon the tall mast's height: That He, who had been cast For such a gentle Soul and sweet, That neighbourhood of grove and field The birds shall sing and ocean make And Thou, sweet Flower, shalt sleep and wake THE GREEN LINNET. BENEATH these fruit-tree boughs that shed In this sequestered nook how sweet And birds and flowers once more to greet, One have I marked, the happiest guest In all this covert of the blest; Hail to Thee, far above the rest In joy of voice and pinion! Thou, Linnet! in thy green array, Dost lead the revels of the May; And this is thy dominion. 1805. |