Poems (Cook)/'Tis a Wild Night at Sea
Appearance
'TIS A WILD NIGHT AT SEA.
The clouds arose in a giant shape,
And the wind with a piercing gust—
Dark as a murderer's mask of crape,
And sharp as a poniard-thrust.
And the wind with a piercing gust—
Dark as a murderer's mask of crape,
And sharp as a poniard-thrust.
Thicker and wider the gloom stretch'd out,
With a flush of angry red;
Till the hissing lightning blazed about,
And the forest bent its head.
With a flush of angry red;
Till the hissing lightning blazed about,
And the forest bent its head.
A maiden look'd from a lattice-pane
Toward where the ocean lay;
And her gaze was fix'd with earnest strain
On the beacon, leagues away.
Toward where the ocean lay;
And her gaze was fix'd with earnest strain
On the beacon, leagues away.
She knew that he who had won her soul
Was getting close to land;
And she clutched at every thunder roll
With a hard, convulsive hand.
Was getting close to land;
And she clutched at every thunder roll
With a hard, convulsive hand.
He had promised he would sail no more
To far and fearful climes;
He had talk'd of a cottage on the shore,
And the sound of wedding chimes.
To far and fearful climes;
He had talk'd of a cottage on the shore,
And the sound of wedding chimes.
They had loved each other many a year,
They had grown up side by side;
She had reckon'd the days—his ship must be near—
He was coming to claim his bride.
They had grown up side by side;
She had reckon'd the days—his ship must be near—
He was coming to claim his bride.
An old crone pass'd the lattice-pane,—
"God help us all!" quoth she;
'Tis bad on the mountain, but worse on the main,—
'Tis a wild night at sea!"
"God help us all!" quoth she;
'Tis bad on the mountain, but worse on the main,—
'Tis a wild night at sea!"
The maiden heard, but never stirr'd
Her gaze from the beacon lamp;
Her heart alone felt a sepulchre-stone
Roll up to it, heavy and damp.
Her gaze from the beacon lamp;
Her heart alone felt a sepulchre-stone
Roll up to it, heavy and damp.
A gray-hair'd mariner look'd around,—
"Here's a wind," cried he:
"May God preserve the homeward bound;
'Tis a wild night at sea!"
"Here's a wind," cried he:
"May God preserve the homeward bound;
'Tis a wild night at sea!"
The maiden heard, yet never stirr'd
Her eyes from the distant part;
But shadow was thrown upon the stone,
And the stone was over her heart.
Her eyes from the distant part;
But shadow was thrown upon the stone,
And the stone was over her heart.
The Lightning blades fenced fierce and long;
The Blast wings madly flew;
But Morning came, with the skylark's song,
And an arch of spotless blue.
The Blast wings madly flew;
But Morning came, with the skylark's song,
And an arch of spotless blue.
Morning came with a tale too true,
As sad as tale could be:
"A homeward bound" went down with her crew,—
"'Twas a wild night at sea!"
As sad as tale could be:
"A homeward bound" went down with her crew,—
"'Twas a wild night at sea!"
The maiden heard, yet never stirr'd,
Nor eye, nor lip, nor brow;
But moss had grown on the sepulchre-stone,
And it cover'd a skeleton now.
Nor eye, nor lip, nor brow;
But moss had grown on the sepulchre-stone,
And it cover'd a skeleton now.
******
Summer and Winter came and went,
With their frosty and flowery time;
Autumn branches lusciously bent,
And Spring buds had their prime.
With their frosty and flowery time;
Autumn branches lusciously bent,
And Spring buds had their prime.
The maiden still is in her home;
But not a word breathes she;
Save those that seal'd her spirit doom,
"'Tis a wild night at sea!"
But not a word breathes she;
Save those that seal'd her spirit doom,
"'Tis a wild night at sea!"
The hedgerow thorn is out again,
And her cheek is as pale as the bloom;
She bears a wound whose bleeding pain
Can only be stanched by the tomb.
And her cheek is as pale as the bloom;
She bears a wound whose bleeding pain
Can only be stanched by the tomb.
Children show her the violet bed,
And where young doves will be;
But they hear her say, as she boweth her head,
—"'Tis a wild night at sea!"
And where young doves will be;
But they hear her say, as she boweth her head,
—"'Tis a wild night at sea!"
She may be seen at the lattice-pane
When the climbing moon is bright;
With the gaze distraught of a dreaming brain
Toward the beacon height.
When the climbing moon is bright;
With the gaze distraught of a dreaming brain
Toward the beacon height.
There's not a cloud a star to shroud,
The song-birds haunt the tree;
But she faintly sighs, as the dewdrops rise,
—"'Tis a wild night at sea!"
The song-birds haunt the tree;
But she faintly sighs, as the dewdrops rise,
—"'Tis a wild night at sea!"
Golden beams of a sunny June
The work with light are filling;
Till the roses fall asleep at noon
O'er the draught of their own distilling:
The work with light are filling;
Till the roses fall asleep at noon
O'er the draught of their own distilling:
The maiden walks where aspen stalks
Only move with the moth and the bee;
But she sigheth still, with shivering chill,
—"'Tis a wild night at sea!"
Only move with the moth and the bee;
But she sigheth still, with shivering chill,
—"'Tis a wild night at sea!"
Her beautiful Youth has wither'd away;
Sorrow has eaten the core;
But, weak and wan, she lingereth on
Till the thorn is white once more.
Sorrow has eaten the core;
But, weak and wan, she lingereth on
Till the thorn is white once more.
There are bridal robes at the old church porch,
And orange-bloom so fair;
The merry bells say, 'tis a wedding-day,
And the priest has bless'd the pair.
And orange-bloom so fair;
The merry bells say, 'tis a wedding-day,
And the priest has bless'd the pair.
The maiden is under the churchyard yew,
Watching with hollow eye;
Till the merry bells race with faster pace,
And the bridal robes go by.
Watching with hollow eye;
Till the merry bells race with faster pace,
And the bridal robes go by.
She dances out to the ding-dong tune,
She laughs with raving glee:
And Death endeth the dream in her requiem scream,
—"'Tis a wild night at sea!"
She laughs with raving glee:
And Death endeth the dream in her requiem scream,
—"'Tis a wild night at sea!"