The Read Online Free
  • Latest Novel
  • Hot Novel
  • Completed Novel
  • Popular Novel
  • Author List
  • Romance & Love
  • Fantasy
  • Science Fiction
  • Young Adult
  • Mystery & Detective
  • Thrillers & Crime
  • Actions & Adventure
  • History & Fiction
  • Horror
  • Western
  • Humor

    The Complete Poems

    Previous Page Next Page

      Sweep oer. the struggling copulation. in fell writhing pangs

      They lie in twisting agonies beneath the covring heavens

      The womb impressd Enion fled & hid in verdant mountains

      Yet here his heavenly orbs &c

      From Enion pours the seed of life & death in all her limbs

      Frozen in the womb of Tharmas rush the rivers of Enions pain

      10 Trembling he lay swelld with the deluge stifling in the anguish

      THREE POEMS,? c. 1800

      A fairy [leapt] skipd upon my knee

      Singing & dancing merrily

      I said Thou thing of patches rings

      Pins Necklaces & such like things

      Disguiser of the Female Form

      Thou paltry gilded poisnous worm

      Weeping he fell upon my thigh

      And thus in tears did soft reply

      Knowest thou not O Fairies Lord

      How much by us Contemnd Abhorrd

      Whatever hides the Female form

      That cannot bear the Mental storm

      Therefore in Pity still we give

      Our lives to make the Female live

      And what would turn into disease

      We turn to what will joy & please

      *

      Around the Springs of Gray my wild root weaves

      Traveller repose & Dream among my leaves.

      TO Mrs ANN FLAXMAN

      A little Flower grew in a lonely Vale

      Its form was lovely but its colours. pale

      One standing in the Porches of the Sun

      When his Meridian Glories were begun

      Leapd from the steps of fire & on the grass

      Alighted where this little flower was

      With hands divine he movd the gentle Sod

      And took the Flower up in its native Clod

      Then planting it upon a Mountains brow

      ’Tis your own fault if you dont flourish now

      POEMS FROM LETTERS

      TO JOHN FLAXMAN, 12 SEPTEMBER 1800 [POSTMARK]

      To My Dearest Friend, John Flaxman, these lines:

      I bless thee, O Father of Heaven & Earth, that ever I saw Flaxman’s face.

      Angels stand round my Spirit in Heaven, the blessed of Heaven are my friends upon Earth.

      When Flaxman was taken to Italy, Fuseli was given to me for a season,

      And now Flaxman hath given me Hayley his friend to be mine, such my lot upon Earth.

      Now my lot in the Heavens is this, Milton lov’d me in childhood & shew’d me his face.

      Ezra came with Isaiah the Prophet, but Shakespeare in riper years gave me his hand;

      Paracelsus & Behmen appear’d to me, terrors appear’d in the Heavens above

      And in Hell beneath, & a mighty & awful change threatened the Earth.

      The American War began. All its dark horrors passed before my face

      Across the Atlantic to France. Then the French

      10 Revolution commenc’d in thick clouds,

      And My Angels have told me that seeing such visions I could not subsist on the Earth,

      But by my conjunction with Flaxman, who knows to forgive Nervous Fear.

      TO MRS FLAXMAN, 14 SEPTEMBER 1800

      To my dear Friend Mrs Anna Flaxman

      H[ercules] B[uildings] Lambeth, 14 Sepr 1800

      This Song to the flower of Flaxmans joy

      To the blossom of hope for a sweet decoy

      Do all that you can or all that you may

      To entice him to Felpham & far away

      Away to Sweet Felpham for Heaven is there

      The Ladder of Angels descends thro the air

      On the Turret its spiral does softly descend

      Thro’ the village then winds at My Cot i[t] does end

      You stand in the village & look up to heaven

      10 The precious stones glitter on flights seventy seven

      And My Brother is there & My Friend & Thine

      Descend & Ascend with the Bread & the Wine

      The Bread of sweet Thought & the Wine of Delight

      Feeds the Village of Felpham by day & by night

      And at his own door the blessd Hermit does stand

      Dispensing Unceasing to all the whole Land

      TO THOMAS BUTTS, 2 OCTOBER 1800

      To my Friend Butts I write

      My first Vision of Light

      On the yellow sands sitting

      The Sun was Emitting

      His Glorious beams

      From Heavens high Streams

      Over Sea over Land

      My Eyes did Expand

      Into regions of air

      10 Away from all Care

      Into regions of fire

      Remote from Desire

      The Light of the Morning

      Heavens Mountains adorning

      In particles bright

      The jewels of Light

      Distinct shone & clear –

      Amazd & in fear

      I each particle gazed,

      20 Astonishd Amazed

      For each was a Man

      Human formd. Swift I ran

      For they beckond to me

      Remote by the Sea

      Saying. Each grain of Sand

      Every Stone on the Land

      Each rock & each hill

      Each fountain & rill

      Each herb & each tree

      30 Mountain hill Earth & Sea

      Cloud Meteor & Star

      Are Men Seen Afar

      I stood in the Streams

      Of Heavens bright beams

      And Saw Felpham sweet

      Beneath my bright feet

      In soft Female charms

      And in her fair arms

      My Shadow I knew

      And my wifes shadow too

      40 And My Sister & Friend.

      We like Infants descend

      In our Shadows on Earth

      Like a weak mortal birth

      My Eyes more & more

      Like a Sea without shore

      Continue Expanding

      The Heavens commanding

      Till the Jewels of Light

      50 Heavenly Men beaming bright

      Appeard as One Man

      Who Complacent began

      My limbs to infold

      In his beams of bright gold

      Like dross purgd away

      All my mire & my clay

      Soft consumd in delight

      In his bosom Sun bright

      I remaind. Soft he smild

      60 And I heard his voice Mild

      Saying This is My Fold

      O thou Ram hornd with gold

      Who awakest from Sleep

      On the Sides of the Deep

      On the Mountains around

      The roarings resound

      Of the lion & wolf

      The loud Sea & deep gulf.

      These are guards of My Fold

      70 O thou Ram hornd with gold

      And the voice faded mild

      I remaind as a Child

      All I ever had known

      Before me bright Shone

      I saw you & your wife

      By the fountains of Life

      Such the Vision to me

      Appeard on the Sea

      TO MRS BUTTS

      Wife of the Friend of those I most revere.

      Recieve this tribute from a Harp sincere

      Go on in Virtuous Seed sowing on Mold

      Of Human Vegetation & Behold

      Your Harvest Springing to Eternal life

      Parent of Youthful Minds & happy Wife

      TO THOMAS BUTTS, 22 NOVEMBER 1802

      With happiness stretchd across the hills

      In a cloud that dewy sweetness distills

      With a blue sky spread over with wings

      And a mild sun that mounts & sings

      With trees & fields full of Fairy elves

      And little devils who fight for themselves

      Remembring the Verses that Hayley sung

      When my heart knockd against the root of my tongue

      With Angels plant
    ed in Hawthorn bowers

      10 And God himself in the passing hours

      With Silver Angels across my way

      And Golden Demons that none can stay

      With my Father hovering upon the wind

      And my Brother Robert just behind

      And my Brother John the evil one

      In a black cloud making his mone

      Tho dead they appear upon my path

      Notwithstanding my terrible wrath

      They beg they intreat they drop their tears

      20 Filld full of hopes filld full of fears

      With a thousand Angels upon the Wind

      Pouring disconsolate from behind

      To drive them off & before my way

      A frowning Thistle implores my stay

      What to others a trifle appears

      Fills me full of smiles or tears

      For double the vision my Eyes do see

      And a double vision is always with me

      With my inward Eye ’tis an old Man grey

      30 With my outward a Thistle across my way

      ‘If thou goest back the thistle said

      Thou art to endless woe betrayd

      For here does Theotormon lower

      And here is Enitharmons bower

      And Los the terrible thus hath sworn

      Because thou backward dost return

      Poverty Envy old age & fear

      Shall bring thy Wife upon a bier

      And Butts shall give what Fuseli gave

      40 A dark black Rock & a gloomy Cave.’

      I struck the Thistle with my foot

      And broke him up from his delving root

      ‘Must the duties of life each other cross’

      ‘Must every joy be dung & dross’

      ‘Must my dear Butts feel cold neglect’

      ‘Because I give Hayley his due respect’

      ‘Must Flaxman look upon me as wild’

      ‘And all my friends be with doubts beguild’

      ‘Must my Wife live in my Sisters bane’

      50 ‘Or my sister survive on my Loves pain’

      ‘The curses of Los the terrible shade’

      ‘And his dismal terrors make me afraid’

      So I spoke & struck in my wrath

      The old man weltering upon my path

      Then Los appeard in all his power

      In the Sun he appeard descending before

      My face in fierce flames in my double sight

      Twas outward a Sun: inward Los in his might

      ‘My hands are labourd day & night’

      ‘And Ease comes never in my sight’

      60 ‘My Wife has no indulgence given’

      ‘Except what comes to her from heaven’

      ‘We eat little we drink less’

      ‘This Earth breeds not our happiness’

      ‘Another Sun feeds our lifes streams’

      ‘We are not warmed with thy beams’

      ‘Thou measurest not the Time to me’

      ‘Nor yet the Space that I do see’

      ‘My Mind is not with thy light arrayd’

      70 ‘Thy terrors shall not make me afraid’

      When I had my Defiance given

      The Sun stood trembling in heaven

      The Moon that glowd remote below

      Became leprous & white as snow

      And every Soul of men on the Earth

      Felt affliction & sorrow & sickness & dearth

      Los flamd in my path & the Sun was hot

      With the bows of my Mind & the Arrows of Thought

      My bowstring fierce with Ardour breathes

      80 My arrows glow in their golden sheaves

      My brothers & father march before

      The heavens drop with human gore

      Now I a fourfold vision see

      And a fourfold vision is given to me

      Tis fourfold in my supreme delight

      And three fold in soft Beulahs night

      And twofold Always. May God us keep

      From Single vision & Newtons sleep

      TO THOMAS BUTTS, 16 AUGUST 1803

      O why was I born with a different face

      Why was I not born like the rest of my race

      When I look each one starts! when I speak I offend

      Then I’m silent & passive & lose every Friend

      Then my verse I dishonour. My pictures despise

      My person degrade & my temper chastise

      And the pen is my terror. the pencil my shame

      All my Talents I bury, and dead is my Fame

      I am either too low or too highly prizd

      10 When Elate I am Envy’d, When Meek I’m despis’d

      NOTEBOOK POEMS, c. 1800–1806

      When Klopstock England defied

      Uprose terrible Blake in his pride

      For old Nobodaddy aloft

      Farted & Belchd & coughd

      Then swore a great oath that made heavn quake

      And calld aloud to English Blake

      Blake was giving his body ease

      At Lambeth beneath the poplar trees

      From his seat then started he

      10 And turnd himself round three times three

      The Moon at that sight blushd scarlet red

      The stars threw down their cups & fled

      And all the devils that were in hell

      Answered with a ninefold yell

      Klopstock felt the [ninefold] intripled turn

      And all his bowels began to [burn] churn

      [They/And] And his bowels turned round three times three

      And lockd in his soul with a ninefold key

      That from his body it neer could be parted

      20 Till to the last trumpet it was farted

      Then again old nobodaddy swore

      He neer had seen such a thing before

      Since Noah was shut in the ark

      Since Eve first chose her hell fire spark

      Since twas the fashion to go naked

      Since the old anything was created

      And so feeling he begd him to turn again

      And ease poor Klopstocks nine fold pain

      [Then after] From pity then he redend round

      And the Spell removed unwound

      [If thus Blake could Shite what Klopstock did write]

      If Blake could do this when he[sat down to] rose up from shite

      What might he not do if he sat down to write 30

      ON THE VIRGINITY OF THE VIRGIN

      MARY & JOHANNA SOUTHCOTT

      Whateer is done to her she cannot know

      And if youll ask her she will swear it so

      Whether tis good or evil none’s to blame

      No one can take the pride no one the shame

      *

      Beneath the white thorn lovely May

      [Three Virgins at the Break of day

      Whither Young Man whither away]

      Alas for wo alas for wo alas for wo

      They cry & tears for ever flow

      The one was clothd in flames of fire

      The other clothd in [sweet desire] Iron wire

      The other clothd in [sighs] & tears & sighs

      Dazzling bright before my Eyes

      10 They bore a Net of Golden twine

      To hang upon the branches fine

      [Pitying I wept to see the woe

      That Love & Beauty undergo

      To be consumd in burning fires

      And in ungratified desires]

      [Wings they had (& when they chose) that soft inclose

      Round their body when they chose

      They would let them down at will

      Or make translucent]

      20 And in tears clothd night & day

      Melted all my soul away

      When they saw my tears a smile

      That did heaven itself beguile

      Bore the Golden net aloft

      As by downy pinions soft

      Oer the morning of my day

      Underneath the net I stray

      Now intreating flaming fire

      Now intreating [sweet d
    esire] iron wire

      30 Now intreating tears & sighs

      [When] O when will the Morning rise

      THE BIRDS

      He. Where thou dwellest in what Grove

      Tell me Fair one tell me love

      Where thou thy charming Nest dost build

      O thou pride of every field

      She. Yonder stands a lonely tree

      There I live & mourn for thee

      Morning drinks my silent tear

      And evening winds my sorrows bear

      He. O thou Summers harmony

      10 I have livd & mournd for theeb

      Each day I mourn along the wood

      And night hath heard my sorrows loud

      She. Dost thou truly long for me

      And am I thus sweet to thee

      Sorrow now is at an End

      O my Lover & my Friend

      He. Come on wings of joy well fly

      To where my Bower hangs on high

      Come & make thy calm retreat

      20 Among green leaves & blossoms sweet

      *

      I saw a Monk of [Constantine] Charlemaine

      Arise before my sight

      I talkd to the Grey Monk where he stood

      In beams of infernal light

      Gibbon arose with a lash of steel

      And Voltaire with a wracking wheel

      [Charlemaine and his barons bold]

      The Schools in Clouds of Learning rolld

      Arose with War in iron and gold

      [Seditious] Thou Lazy Monk [said Charlemaine] they

      10 sound afar

      [The Glory of War thou condemnst in vain]

      In vain condemning Glorious War

      And in thy Cell thou shall ever dwell

      Rise War & bind him in his Cell

      The blood red ran from the Grey monks side

      His hands & feet were wounded wide

      His body bent his arms & knees

      Like to the roots of ancient trees

      I die I die the Mother said

      20 My Children will die for lack of bread

      What more has the merciless tyrant said

      The Monk sat down on her stony bed

      His Eye was dry no tear coud flow

      A hollow groan first spoke his woe

      [From his dry tongue these accents flow]

      He trembled & shudderd upon the bed

      At length with a feeble cry he said

      When God commanded this hand to write

      In the studious hours of deep midnight

      30 He told me that All I wrote should prove

      The bane of all that on Earth I love

      My brother starvd between two walls

      His childrens cry my soul appalls

      [But] I mockd at the wrack & griding chain

      My bent body mocks at their torturing pain

      Thy father drew his sword in the north

      With his thousands strong he is marched forth

     
    Previous Page Next Page
© The Read Online Free 2022~2025