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The Complete Poetical Works of Percy Bysshe Shelley (ed. Hutchinson, 1914)/Epigrams

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6455The Complete Poetical Works of Percy Bysshe Shelley — EpigramsPercy Bysshe ShelleyPlato

EPIGRAMS

[These four Epigrams were published—nos. II and IV without title—by Mrs. Shelley, Poetical Works, 1839, 1st ed.]

I.—TO STELLAFROM THE GREEK OF PLATOThou wert the morning star among the living,Ere thy fair light had fled;—Now, having died, thou art as Hesperus, givingNew splendour to the dead.II.—KISSING HELENAFROM THE GREEK OF PLATOKissing Helena, togetherWith my kiss, my soul beside itCame to my lips, and there I kept it,—For the poor thing had wandered thither,To follow where the kiss should guide it, 5Oh, cruel I, to intercept it!III.—SPIRIT OF PLATOFROM THE GREEKEagle! why soarest thou above that tomb?To what sublime and star-ypaven homeFloatest thou?—I am the image of swift Plato's spirit,Ascending heaven; Athens doth[1] inherit 5His corpse below.
IV. CIRCUMSTANCEFROM THE GREEKA Man who was about to hang himself,Finding a purse, then threw away his rope;The owner, coming to reclaim his pelf,The halter found, and used it. So is HopeChanged for Despair—one laid upon the shelf,We take the other. Under Heaven's high copeFortune is God—all you endure and doDepends on circumstance as much as you.

  1. Spirit of Plato—5 doth Boscombe MS. ; does ed. 1839.

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Original:

This work was published before January 1, 1930, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.

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Translation:

This work was published before January 1, 1930, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.

Public domainPublic domainfalsefalse