A VISION OF POETS.
175
Electric Pindar, quick as fear,
With race-dust on his cheeks, and clear,
Slant startled eyes that seem to hear
With race-dust on his cheeks, and clear,
Slant startled eyes that seem to hear
The chariot rounding the last goal,
To hurtle past it in his soul!
And Sappho crowned with aureole
To hurtle past it in his soul!
And Sappho crowned with aureole
Of ebon curls on calmed brows—
O poet-woman! none forgoes
The leap, attaining the repose!
O poet-woman! none forgoes
The leap, attaining the repose!
Theocritus, with glittering locks,
Dropt sideway, as betwixt the rocks
He watched the visionary flocks!
Dropt sideway, as betwixt the rocks
He watched the visionary flocks!
And Aristophanes; who took
The world with mirth, and laughter-struck
The hollow caves of Thought and woke
The world with mirth, and laughter-struck
The hollow caves of Thought and woke
The infinite echoes hid in each.
And Virgil! shade of Mantuan beech
Did help the shade of bay to reach
And Virgil! shade of Mantuan beech
Did help the shade of bay to reach
And knit around his forehead high!—
For his gods wore less majesty
Than his brown bees hummed deathlessly.
For his gods wore less majesty
Than his brown bees hummed deathlessly.
Lucretius—nobler than his mood!
Who dropped his plummet down the broad
Deep universe, and said "No God,"
Who dropped his plummet down the broad
Deep universe, and said "No God,"
Finding no bottom! he denied
Divinely the divine, and died
Chief poet on the Tiber-side,
Divinely the divine, and died
Chief poet on the Tiber-side,
By grace of God! his face is stern,
As one compelled, in spite of scorn,
To teach a truth he could not learn.
As one compelled, in spite of scorn,
To teach a truth he could not learn.
And Ossian, dimly seen or guessed!
Once counted greater than the rest,
When mountain-winds blew out his vest.
Once counted greater than the rest,
When mountain-winds blew out his vest.
