Monotonous, so monotonous, but oh! so sweet, so sweet, When my hid heart is throbbing forth a voice, And the two voices meet. 28. The void within the calm for which I yearned, Until this moment was imperfectly discerned; With the unquiet sea. 29. Hear I the crawling movements of the main ? Or hear I dim heart-echoes dying in the brain? To ocean, which to me? 30. The sounds have mingled into some faint whole, Inseparate, trembling o'er the fibres of my soul; And the cool waves have a magic all my swooning blood to quell ; The sea glides thro' and thro' me, and my soul Keeps sea-sound like a shell. 31. Ah, the monotonous music in my soul, Enlarging like the waves, murmuring without control!Is it that changeful nature can rest not night nor day? And is the music born of this lorn Man, Or Ocean,-Horace, say? 32. Are these vibrations but a prophecy Of wondrous storms unborn, in nature and in me? And is this sweetly sad unrest that I and Ocean share The vital principle abroad in earth And water, fire and air? 33. Is there a climbing element in life Which is at war with rest, alternates strife with strife, Whereby we reach eternal seas upon whose shores unstirr❜d Ev'n Joy can sleep,-because no moan like this Within those waves is heard? XVII. THE VOICE IN THE SNOW. 1. WE are the fairies of the Snow, Hushing sweet hearts where'er we go!— Our gentle motion from the skies Has voiceless music for the eyes, We stir the grey and wintry air, And, mirror'd in the eyes, we roll With thought-like glamour to the Soul! 2. We are the fairies of the Snow, Hushing the heart where'er we go!— We paint the earth in winter hours With stainless pictures of the flowers, We kiss the dark earth till it grows A silver cloud of pure repose, Till nature's troublous yearning sense Hushes itself to reverence! 3. We are the fairies of the Snow, We weave with fleecy fingers sweet Pale signs of unborn loveliness! 4. We are the fairies of the Snow, Working for weal where'er we go! We warm the quick'ning babe of spring Under a silken carpeting, |