60
TO MISS JULIA DEAN.
Lady bright,
And beautiful, to thee belongs a high
And glorious mission. The great heritage
Of genius is thine own-—the boon of Heaven.
To the wild, airy things of poetry,
Its spirit-visions, its ethereal dreams,
Its mystic, fairy-like imaginings,
Thou givest beauty and vitality,
And bidd'st them move, and speak, and smile, and weep,
Like beings of our earth, and they will live
For ever in our glowing souls as thou
Dost image them.
And beautiful, to thee belongs a high
And glorious mission. The great heritage
Of genius is thine own-—the boon of Heaven.
To the wild, airy things of poetry,
Its spirit-visions, its ethereal dreams,
Its mystic, fairy-like imaginings,
Thou givest beauty and vitality,
And bidd'st them move, and speak, and smile, and weep,
Like beings of our earth, and they will live
For ever in our glowing souls as thou
Dost image them.
O lady clear, the pure
And gentle beauty of thy sweet young face
Has wakened thoughts and feelings in my soul,
That will not, cannot perish but with life.
Thy pure white brow, serene and beautiful,
And calm as infant sleep; thy floating wealth
Of fleecy, golden hair; thy liquid eyes,
And gentle beauty of thy sweet young face
Has wakened thoughts and feelings in my soul,
That will not, cannot perish but with life.
Thy pure white brow, serene and beautiful,
And calm as infant sleep; thy floating wealth
Of fleecy, golden hair; thy liquid eyes,