Studies in Song By: Algernon Charles Swinburne (1837-1909)
First Page: STUDIES IN SONG BY ALGERNON CHARLES SWINBURNE London CHATTO & WINDUS, PICCADILLY 1880 All rights reserved LONDON: PRINTED BY SPOTTISWOODE AND CO., NEW STREET SQUARE AND PARLIAMENT STREET CONTENTS. PAGE SONG FOR THE CENTENARY OF WALTER SAVAGE LANDOR 1 GRAND CHORUS OF BIRDS FROM ARISTOPHANES 67 OFF SHORE 75 AFTER NINE YEARS 95 FOR A PORTRAIT OF FELICE ORSINI 103 EVENING ON THE BROADS 107 THE EMPEROR'S PROGRESS 125 THE RESURRECTION OF ALCILIA 131 THE FOURTEENTH OF JULY 135 THE LAUNCH OF THE LIVADIA 139 SIX YEARS OLD 145 A PARTING SONG 151 BY THE NORTH SEA 161 SONG FOR THE CENTENARY OF WALTER SAVAGE LANDOR BORN JANUARY 30TH, 1775 DIED SEPTEMBER 17TH, 1864 There is delight in singing, though none hear Beside the singer: and there is delight In praising, though the praiser sit alone And see the praised far off him, far above. LANDOR. DEDICATION. TO MRS. LYNN LINTON. Daughter in spirit elect and consecrate By love and reverence of the Olympian sire Whom I too loved and worshipped, seeing so great, And found so gracious toward my long desire To bid that love in song before his gate Sound, and my lute be loyal to his lyre, To none save one it now may dedicate Song's new burnt offering on a century's pyre. And though the gift be light As ashes in men's sight, Left by the flame of no ethereal fire, Yet, for his worthier sake Than words are worthless, take This wreath of words ere yet their hour expire: So, haply, from some heaven above, He, seeing, may set next yours my sacrifice of love. May 24, 1880. SONG FOR THE CENTENARY OF WALTER SAVAGE LANDOR. 1. Five years beyond an hundred years have seen Their winters, white as faith's and age's hue, Melt, smiling through brief tears that broke between, And hope's young conquering colours reared anew, Since, on the day whose edge for kings made keen Smote sharper once than ever storm wind blew, A head predestined for the girdling green That laughs at lightning all the seasons through, Nor frost or change can sunder Its crown untouched of thunder Leaf from least leaf of all its leaves that grew Alone for brows too bold For storm to sear of old, Elect to shine in time's eternal view, Rose on the verge of radiant life Between the winds and sunbeams mingling love with strife. 2. The darkling day that gave its bloodred birth To Milton's white republic undefiled That might endure so few fleet years on earth Bore in him likewise as divine a child; But born not less for crowns of love and mirth, Of palm and myrtle passionate and mild, The leaf that girds about with gentler girth The brow steel bound in battle, and the wild Soft spray that flowers above The flower soft hair of love; And the white lips of wayworn winter smiled And grew serene as spring's When with stretched clouds like wings Or wings like drift of snow clouds massed and piled The godlike giant, softening, spread A shadow of stormy shelter round the new born head. 3. And o'er it brightening bowed the wild haired hour, And touched his tongue with honey and with fire, And breathed between his lips the note of power That makes of all the winds of heaven a lyre Whose strings are stretched from topmost peaks that tower To softest springs of waters that suspire, With sounds too dim to shake the lowliest flower Breathless with hope and dauntless with desire: And bright before his face That Hour became a Grace, As in the light of their Athenian quire When the Hours before the sun And Graces were made one, Called by sweet Love down from the aerial gyre By one dear name of natural joy, To bear on her bright breast from heaven a heaven born boy... Continue reading book >>

Studies in Song By: Algernon Charles Swinburne (1837-1909)

First Page:

STUDIES IN SONG

ALGERNON CHARLES SWINBURNE

London CHATTO & WINDUS, PICCADILLY 1880

LONDON: PRINTED BY SPOTTISWOODE AND CO., NEW STREET SQUARE AND PARLIAMENT STREET

CONTENTS.

PAGE SONG FOR THE CENTENARY OF WALTER SAVAGE LANDOR 1

GRAND CHORUS OF BIRDS FROM ARISTOPHANES 67

OFF SHORE 75

AFTER NINE YEARS 95

FOR A PORTRAIT OF FELICE ORSINI 103

EVENING ON THE BROADS 107

THE EMPEROR'S PROGRESS 125

THE RESURRECTION OF ALCILIA 131

THE FOURTEENTH OF JULY 135

THE LAUNCH OF THE LIVADIA 139

SIX YEARS OLD 145

A PARTING SONG 151

BY THE NORTH SEA 161

SONG FOR THE CENTENARY OF WALTER SAVAGE LANDOR

BORN JANUARY 30TH, 1775

DIED SEPTEMBER 17TH, 1864

There is delight in singing, though none hear Beside the singer: and there is delight In praising, though the praiser sit alone And see the praised far off him, far above.

LANDOR.

DEDICATION.

TO MRS. LYNN LINTON.

Daughter in spirit elect and consecrate By love and reverence of the Olympian sire Whom I too loved and worshipped, seeing so great, And found so gracious toward my long desire To bid that love in song before his gate Sound, and my lute be loyal to his lyre, To none save one it now may dedicate Song's new burnt offering on a century's pyre. And though the gift be light As ashes in men's sight, Left by the flame of no ethereal fire, Yet, for his worthier sake Than words are worthless, take This wreath of words ere yet their hour expire: So, haply, from some heaven above, He, seeing, may set next yours my sacrifice of love.

May 24, 1880.

SONG FOR THE CENTENARY OF WALTER SAVAGE LANDOR.

Five years beyond an hundred years have seen Their winters, white as faith's and age's hue, Melt, smiling through brief tears that broke between, And hope's young conquering colours reared anew, Since, on the day whose edge for kings made keen Smote sharper once than ever storm wind blew, A head predestined for the girdling green That laughs at lightning all the seasons through, Nor frost or change can sunder Its crown untouched of thunder Leaf from least leaf of all its leaves that grew Alone for brows too bold For storm to sear of old, Elect to shine in time's eternal view, Rose on the verge of radiant life Between the winds and sunbeams mingling love with strife.

The darkling day that gave its bloodred birth To Milton's white republic undefiled That might endure so few fleet years on earth Bore in him likewise as divine a child; But born not less for crowns of love and mirth, Of palm and myrtle passionate and mild, The leaf that girds about with gentler girth The brow steel bound in battle, and the wild Soft spray that flowers above The flower soft hair of love; And the white lips of wayworn winter smiled And grew serene as spring's When with stretched clouds like wings Or wings like drift of snow clouds massed and piled The godlike giant, softening, spread A shadow of stormy shelter round the new born head.

And o'er it brightening bowed the wild haired hour, And touched his tongue with honey and with fire, And breathed between his lips the note of power That makes of all the winds of heaven a lyre Whose strings are stretched from topmost peaks that tower To softest springs of waters that suspire, With sounds too dim to shake the lowliest flower Breathless with hope and dauntless with desire: And bright before his face That Hour became a Grace, As in the light of their Athenian quire When the Hours before the sun And Graces were made one, Called by sweet Love down from the aerial gyre By one dear name of natural joy, To bear on her bright breast from heaven a heaven born boy... Continue reading book >>

Genres for this book
Literature
Poetry

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