Poetry

“Exile” By Peter Huchel At eve friends draw near, the shadows of the hills. Slowly they step over the threshold, darkening the salt, darkening the bread, and making conversation with my silence. Outside in the maple stirs the winds: My sister, the rain-water in chalky troughs, imprisoned she gazes after clouds. Leave with the wind, the shadows say. Summer places iron sickles upon your heart. Leave, before fall's s…

“It is Good” By Johann Wolfgang von Goethe In Paradise while moonbeams played, Jehovah found, in slumber deep, Adam fast sunk; He gently laid Eve near him -- she, too, fell asleep. There lay they now, on earth's fair shrine, God's two most beauteous thoughts divine-- When this He saw, He cried: 'Tis good! And scarce could move from where He stood. No wonder, that our joy's complete While eye and eye resp…

Excerpt from “The Merchant of Venice” By William Shakespeare How sweet the moonlight sleeps upon this bank! Here will we sit, and let the sounds of music Creep in our ears; soft stillness, and the night, Become the touches of sweet harmony. Sit, Jessica: look, how the floor of heaven Is thick inlaid with patines of bright gold; There's not the smallest orb which thou behold'st But in his motion like an angel sings, …

Excerpt from “The Princess” By Alfred Tennyson Tears, idle tears, I know not what they mean. Rise in the heart and gather to the eyes, Tears from the depth of some divine despair And thinking of the days that are no more. In looking on the happy autumn fields, Fresh as the first beam glittering on a sail, That brings our friends up from the under world; Sad as the last which reddens over one That sinks with all we l…

“March of the Rebel Angels” from John Miltons’ Paradise Lost Ten thousand banners rise into the air, All in a moment, through the gloom were seen With orient colors waving; with them rose A forest huge of spears; and thronging helms Appeared, and serried shields in thick array Of depth immeasurable; anon they move In perfect phalanx to the Dorian mood Of flutes and soft recorders, such as raised To height of noblest…

"Oh, Muse of the Red" By Alexander Pushkin Oh, Muse of the red-hot satire, Appear at my urgent spell: I've no need for rattling lyre, Give me the whip of Juvenal! Not to translators ever cold, Or imitators gaunt and bold, Not to the lambs, who make the rhymes, I'll send the pledge of epigrams! Enjoy your peace, oh, bard, despondent, The journal's creature-correspondent, The dull humiliated slaves! But you, 'good' fe…

"The Flower" By Alexander Pushkin The flower, very dry and scentless, I see in the forgotten book; And now, with the strangest fancies, Is filled my soul’s every nook. Where and in which spring was it grown? And how long? By whom was cut? By a hand known or unknown? And why was put this page behind? To the recall of the love-talking, Or separation forced by fate, Or quiet and alone walking In the fields’ silence a…

"I Loved You" By Alexander Pushkin I loved you: yet the love, maybe, Has not extinguished in my heart; But hence may not it trouble thee; I do not want to make you sad. I loved you hopelessly and mutely, Now with shyness, now with jealousy being vexed; I loved you so sincerely, so fondly, Likewise may someone love you next.

"Love and Reason" By Thomas Moore ’Twas in the summer time so sweet, When hearts and flowers are both in season, That—who, of all the world, should meet, One early dawn, but Love and Reason! Love told his dream of yesternight, While Reason talked about the weather; The morn, in sooth, was fair and bright, And on they took their way together. The boy in many a gambol flew, While Reason, like a J…

"Affection" By Letitia Elizabeth Landon There is in life no blessing like affection: It soothes, it hallows, elevates, subdues, And bringeth down to earth its native heaven. It sits besides the cradle patient hours, Whose sole contentment is to watch and love; It bendeth o'er the death-bed, and conceals Its own despair with words of faith and hope. Life has nought else that may supply its place: Void is ambition, co…

"Wind and Sea" By Baylard Taylor The sea is a jovial comrade, He laughs wherever he goes; His merriment shines in the dimpling lines That wrinkle his hale repose; He lays himself down at the feet of the Sun, And shakes all over with glee, And the broad-backed billows fall faint on the shore, In the mirth of the mighty Sea! But the Wind is sad and restless, And cursed with an inward pain; You may hark as you will, b…

"He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven" By W.B. Yeats Had I the heavens’ embroidered cloths, Enwrought with golden and silver light, The blue and the dim and the dark cloths Of night and light and the half-light, I would spread the cloths under your feet: But I, being poor, have only my dreams; I have spread my dreams under your feet; Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.