The Culprit Fay and Other Poems Part 2

The star is yet in the vault of heaven, But its rocks in the summer gale; And now 'tis fitful and uneven, And now 'tis deadly pale; And now 'tis wrapp'd in sulphur smoke, And quenched is its rayless beam, And now with a rattling thunder-stroke It bursts in flash and flame.

As swift as the glance of the arrowy lance That the storm-spirit flings from high, The star-shot flew o'er the welkin blue, As it fell from the sheeted sky.

As swift as the wind in its trail behind The elfin gallops along, The fiends of the clouds are bellowing loud, But the sylphid charm is strong; He gallops unhurt in the shower of fire, While the cloud-fiends fly from the blaze; He watches each flake till its sparks expire, And rides in the light of its rays.

But he drove his steed to the lightning's speed, And caught a glimmering spark; Then wheeled around to the fairy ground, And sped through the midnight dark.

Ouphe and goblin! imp and sprite!

Elf of eve! and starry Fay!

Ye that love the moon's soft light, Hither--hither wend your way; Twine ye in the jocund ring, Sing and trip it merrily, Hand to hand, and wing to wing, Round the wild witch-hazel tree.

Hail the wanderer again, With dance and song, and lute and lyre, Pure his wing and strong his chain, And doubly bright his fairy fire.

Twine ye in an airy round, Brush the dew and print the lea; Skip and gambol, hop and bound, Round the wild witch-hazel tree.

The beetle guards our holy ground, He flies about the haunted place, And if mortal there be found, He hums in his ears and flaps his face; The leaf-harp sounds our roundelay, The owlet's eyes our lanterns be; Thus we sing, and dance and play, Round the wild witch-hazel tree.

But hark! from tower on tree-top high, The sentry elf his call has made, A streak is in the eastern sky, Shapes of moonlight! flit and fade!

The hill-tops gleam in morning's spring, The sky-lark shakes his dappled wing, The day-glimpse glimmers on the lawn, The c.o.c.k has crowed, the Fays are gone.

TO A FRIEND.

"You d.a.m.n me with faint praise."

I.

Yes, faint was my applause and cold my praise, Though soul was glowing in each polished line; But n.o.bler subjects claim the poet's lays, A brighter glory waits a muse like thine.

Let amorous fools in love-sick measure pine; Let Strangford whimper on, in fancied pain, And leave to Moore his rose leaves and his vine; Be thine the task a higher crown to gain, The envied wreath that decks the patriot's holy strain.

II.

Yet not in proud triumphal song alone, Or martial ode, or sad sepulchral dirge, There needs no voice to make our glories known; There needs no voice the warrior's soul to urge To tread the bounds of nature's stormy verge; Columbia still shall win the battle's prize; But be it thine to bid her mind emerge To strike her harp, until its soul arise From the neglected shade, where low in dust it lies.

III.

Are there no scenes to touch the poet's soul?

No deeds of arms to wake the lordly strain?

Shall Hudson's billows unregarded roll?

Has Warren fought, Montgomery died in vain?

Shame! that while every mountain stream and plain Hath theme for truth's proud voice or fancy's wand, No native bard the patriot harp hath ta'en, But left to minstrels of a foreign strand To sing the beauteous scenes of nature's loveliest land.

IV.

Oh! for a seat on Appalachia's brow, That I might scan the glorious prospect round, Wild waving woods, and rolling floods below, Smooth level glades and fields with grain embrown'd, High heaving hills, with tufted forests crown'd, Rearing their tall tops to the heaven's blue dome, And emerald isles, like banners green unwound, Floating along the lake, while round them roam Bright helms of billowy blue and plumes of dancing foam.

V.

'Tis true no fairies haunt our verdant meads, No grinning imps deform our blazing hearth; Beneath the kelpie's fang no traveller bleeds, Nor gory vampyre taints our holy earth, Nor spectres stalk to frighten harmless mirth, Nor tortured demon howls adown the gale; Fair reason checks these monsters in their birth.

Yet have we lay of love and horrid tale Would dim the manliest eye and make the bravest pale.

VI.

Where is the stony eye that hath not shed Compa.s.sion's heart-drops o'er the sweet Mc Rea?

Through midnight's wilds by savage bandits led, "Her heart is sad--her love is far away!"

Elate that lover waits the promised day When he shall clasp his blooming bride again-- s.h.i.+ne on, sweet visions! dreams of rapture, play!

Soon the cold corse of her he loved in vain Shall blight his withered heart and fire his frenzied brain.

VII.

Romantic Wyoming! could none be found Of all that rove thy Eden groves among, To wake a native harp's untutored sound, And give thy tale of wo the voice of song?

Oh! if description's cold and nerveless tongue From stranger harps such hallowed strains could call, How doubly sweet the descant wild had rung, From one who, lingering round thy ruined wall, Had plucked thy mourning flowers and wept thy timeless fall.

VIII.

The Huron chief escaped from foemen nigh, His frail bark launches on Niagara's tides, "Pride in his port, defiance in his eye,"

Singing his song of death the warrior glides; In vain they yell along the river sides, In vain the arrow from its sheaf is torn, Calm to his doom the willing victim rides, And, till adown the roaring torrent borne, Mocks them with gesture proud, and laughs their rage to scorn.

IX.

But if the charms of daisied hill and vale, And rolling flood, and towering rock sublime, If warrior deed or peasant's lowly tale Of love or wo should fail to wake the rhyme, If to the wildest heights of song you climb, (Tho' some who know you less, might cry, beware!) Onward! I say--your strains shall conquer time; Give your bright genius wing, and hope to share Imagination's worlds--the ocean, earth, and air.

X.

Arouse, my friend--let vivid fancy soar, Look with creative eye on nature's face, Bid airy sprites in wild Niagara roar, And view in every field a fairy race.

Spur thy good Pacolet to speed apace, And spread a train of nymphs on every sh.o.r.e; Or if thy muse would woo a ruder grace, The Indian's evil Manitou's explore, And rear the wondrous tale of legendary lore.

XI.

Away! to Susquehannah's utmost springs, Where, throned in mountain mist, Areouski reigns, Shrouding in lurid clouds his plumeless wings, And sternly sorrowing o'er his tribes remains; His was the arm, like comet ere it wanes That tore the streamy lightnings from the skies, And smote the mammoth of the southern plains; Wild with dismay the Creek affrighted flies, While in triumphant pride Kanawa's eagles rise.

XII.

Or westward far, where dark Miami wends, Seek that fair spot as yet to fame unknown; Where, when the vesper dew of heaven descends, Soft music breathes in many a melting tone, At times so sadly sweet it seems the moan Of some poor Ariel penanced in the rock; Anon a louder burst--a scream! a groan!

And now amid the tempest's reeling shock, Gibber, and shriek, and wail--and fiend-like laugh and mock.

XIII.

Or climb the Pallisado's lofty brows, Were dark Omana waged the war of h.e.l.l, Till, waked to wrath, the mighty spirit rose And pent the demons in their prison cell; Full on their head the uprooted mountain fell, Enclosing all within its horrid womb Straight from the teeming earth the waters swell, And pillared rocks arise in cheerless gloom Around the drear abode--their last eternal tomb!

XIV.

Be these your future themes--no more resign The soul of song to laud your lady's eyes; Go! kneel a wors.h.i.+pper at nature's shrine!

For you her fields are green, and fair her skies!

For you her rivers flow, her hills arise!

And will you scorn them all, to pour forth tame And heartless lays of feigned or fancied sighs?

Still will you cloud the muse? nor blush for shame To cast away renown, and hide your head from fame?