FROM

le

God's name,

He put a word, and knowledge in my

SAPPHO
heart,
When I was fast bound of his enemies'

ON THE CLIFFS
hands
An oarsman on their galleys, and beheld LOVE's priestess, mad with pain and joy of
From off the sea whereon I sat in chains

song,
The walls wherein I knew that I there Song's priestess, mad with joy and pain of
bound

love, Should one day witness of him ; and this Name above all names that are lights pledge

above, Hath God redeem'd not ? Nay then, in We have lov'd, prais'd, pitied, crown'd,

and done thee wrong, If that false word fell unfulfill’d of mine, O thou past praise and pity ; thou the sole Heed ye not now nor hear me when I Utterly deathless, perfect only and whole say

Immortal, body and soul. That for this woman's sake shall God cut For over all whom time hath overpast off

The shadow of sleep inexorable is cast, The hand that spares her as the hand that The implacable sweet shadow of perfect shields,

sleep And make their memory who take part

That gives not back what life gives death with her

to keep ; As theirs who stood for Baal against the Yea, all that liv'd and lov'd and sang and Lord

sinn'd With Ahab's daughter; for her reign and

Are all borne down death's cold, sweet, end

soundless wind
Shall be like Athaliah's, as her birth That blows all night and knows not whom
Was from the womb of Jezebel, that slew

its breath,
The prophets, and made foul 'with blood Darkling, may touch to death :
and fire

But one that wind hath touch'd and changed
The same land's face that now her seed

not, makes foul

Whose body and soul are parcel of the With whoredoms and with witchcrafts; yet

sun ;

One that earth's fire could burn not, nor Peace, where is no peace, while the adul

the sea terous blood

Quench ; nor might human doom take hold Feeds yet with life and sin the murderous on thee ; heart

All praise, all pity, all dreams have done That hath brought forth a wonder to the

thee wrong, world

All love, with eyes love-blinded from And to all time a terror ; and this blood

above ; The hands are clean that shed, and they Song's priestess

, mad with joy and pain of

love, In God's just sight spotted as foul as

Love's priestess, mad with pain and joy of

song
If then this guilt shall cleave to you or no,
And to your children's children, for her

Hast thou none other answer then for me sake,

Than the air may have of thee, for God needs no man that is Or the earth's warm woodlands girdling loth

with green girth To serve him, and no word but his own

Thy secret, sleepless, burning life on earth, work

Or even the sea that once, being woman To bind and loose their hearts who hear

crown'd

And girt with fire and glory of anguish Such things as speak what I lack words to

round, say.

Thou wert so fain to seek to, fain to crave

one

they say

that spare

Cain's.

chrough

Choose ye;

and see

If she would hear thee and save

Till youth at last, ere yet youth be not, And give thee comfort of thy great green

learn grave ?

The kind wise word that falls from years Because I have known thee always who

that fall thou art,

Hope thou not much, and fear thou not Thou knowest, bave known thee to thy

at all." heart's own heart, Nor ever have given light ear to storied song

ON THE DEATHS OF THOMAS That did thy sweet name sweet unwitting CARLYLE AND GEORGE ELIOT

wrong, Nor ever have call'd thee nor would call Two souls diverse out of our human sight for shame,

Pass, follow'd one with love and each with Thou knowest, but inly by thine only name,

wonder: Sappho — because I have known thee and The stormy sophist with his mouth of thunlov'd, hast thou

der, None other answer now?

Cloth'd with loud words and mantled in As brother and sister were we, child and

the might bird,

Of darkness and magnificence of night ; Since thy first Lesbian word

And one whose eye could smite the night Flam'd on me, and I knew not whence I

in sunder, knew,

Searching if light or no light were thereThis was the song that struck my whole

under, soul through,

And found in love of loving - kindness Pierced my keen spirit of sense with edge light. more keen,

Duty divine and Thought with eyes of fire Even when I knew not,

even ere sooth Still following Righteousness with deep was seen,

desire When thou wast but the tawny sweet wing'd Shone sole and stern before her and thing

above, Whose cry was but of spring.

Sure stars and sole to steer by ; but more

sweet

Shone lower the loveliest lamp for earthly HOPE AND FEAR

feet,

The light of little children, and their love. BENEATH the shadow of dawn's aerial

cope, With eyes enkindled as the sun's own sphere,

HERTHA Hope from the front of youth in godlike cheer

I AM that which began ; Looks Godward, past the shades where

Out of me the years roll ; blind men grope

Out of me God and man; Round the dark door that prayers nor

I am equal and Whole; dreams can ope,

God changes, and man, and the form of And makes for joy the very darkness dear them bodily ; I am the soul. That gives her wide wings play; nor dreams that fear

Before ever land was, At noon may rise and pierce the heart of

Before ever the sea, hope.

Or soft hair of the grass, Then, when the soul leaves off to dream

Or fair limbs of the tree,

Or the flesh-color'd fruit of my branches, May truth first purge her eyesight to dis I was, and thy soul was in me. What once being known leaves time no First life on my sources power to appal ;

First drifted and swam ;

and yearn,

cern