The Poets and Poetry of America: To the Middle of the Nineteenth CenturyA selection of American poetry written between the country's founding and the mid-19th century. Each poet's selections are preceded by a brief biographical and critical sketch. |
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Page 47
... dark - red fires ; Torches , and torrent sparks , by whirlwinds driven , Stream'd through the smoke , and fired the clouded heaven ; As oft tall turrets sunk , with rushing sound , Broad flames burst forth , and sweep the ethereal round ...
... dark - red fires ; Torches , and torrent sparks , by whirlwinds driven , Stream'd through the smoke , and fired the clouded heaven ; As oft tall turrets sunk , with rushing sound , Broad flames burst forth , and sweep the ethereal round ...
Page 67
... dark and dire disgrace , Oppress'd the valour of thy gallant race . No martial phalanx , led by veteran art , Combined thy vigour , or confirmed thy heart : Thy bands dispersed , like Rome in wild defeat , Fled to the mountains , to ...
... dark and dire disgrace , Oppress'd the valour of thy gallant race . No martial phalanx , led by veteran art , Combined thy vigour , or confirmed thy heart : Thy bands dispersed , like Rome in wild defeat , Fled to the mountains , to ...
Page 76
... dark , and solemn as the grave , I suddenly awoke . It seem'd of sable night the cell , Where , save when from the ... darkness seem'd that wall'd me round ) A man that's buried under ground , Where pyramids are piled . Thus fix'd , a ...
... dark , and solemn as the grave , I suddenly awoke . It seem'd of sable night the cell , Where , save when from the ... darkness seem'd that wall'd me round ) A man that's buried under ground , Where pyramids are piled . Thus fix'd , a ...
Page 77
... dark , Through upper air to leap , ) Beheld , from thy most fearful height , The rapid dolphin's azure light Cleave , like a living meteor bright , The darkness of the deep : " T was mine the warm , awakening hand That made thy grateful ...
... dark , Through upper air to leap , ) Beheld , from thy most fearful height , The rapid dolphin's azure light Cleave , like a living meteor bright , The darkness of the deep : " T was mine the warm , awakening hand That made thy grateful ...
Page 82
... darkness sweep , Itself the while so bright ! For oft we seem'd As on some starless sea - all dark above , All dark below - yet , onward as we drove , To plough up light that ever round us stream'd . But he who mourns is not as one ...
... darkness sweep , Itself the while so bright ! For oft we seem'd As on some starless sea - all dark above , All dark below - yet , onward as we drove , To plough up light that ever round us stream'd . But he who mourns is not as one ...
Other editions - View all
The Poets and Poetry of America: To the Middle of the Nineteenth Century ... Rufus Wilmot Griswold No preview available - 2017 |
The Poets and Poetry of America: To the Middle of the Nineteenth Century Rufus Wilmot Griswold No preview available - 2015 |
The Poets and Poetry of America: To the Middle of the Nineteenth Century ... Rufus Wilmot Griswold No preview available - 2016 |
Common terms and phrases
amid art thou beam beauty Ben Bolt beneath bird bless blue born bosom breast breath breeze bright brow charm cheek clouds cold Connecticut coursers dark dead dear death deep dream earth evermore fair fear feel flowers friends gaze gentle gleam glorious glory glow grace grave green hand Harvard College hath hear heart heaven hills holy hour land leaves life's light lips living lonely look lyre morning mountain muse Nashaway ne'er never night numbers o'er pale pass'd Phi Beta Kappa poems poet pride rills Rio Bravo round SAM PATCH scene seem'd shade shadows shine shore sigh silent sing skies sleep smile soft song sorrow soul sound spirit spring stars storm stream sublime sweet tears tempest thee thine thou art thought throne tree vex'd voice wave wild wind wings woods Yale College youth
Popular passages
Page 167 - TO A WATERFOWL Whither, midst falling dew, While glow the heavens with the last steps of day, Far, through their rosy depths, dost thou pursue Thy solitary way? Vainly the fowler's eye Might mark thy distant flight to do thee wrong, As, darkly painted on the crimson sky, Thy figure floats along.
Page 158 - Father, Thy hand Hath reared these venerable columns. Thou Didst weave this verdant roof. Thou didst look down Upon the naked earth, and forthwith rose All these fair ranks of trees.
Page 361 - In their bloom, And the names he loved to hear Have been carved for many a year On the tomb.
Page 315 - Toiling, — rejoicing, — sorrowing, Onward through life he goes ; Each morning sees some task begin, Each evening sees it close ; Something attempted, something done, Has earned a night's repose. Thanks, thanks to thee, my worthy friend, For the lesson thou hast taught ! Thus at the flaming forge of life Our fortunes must be wrought ; Thus on its sounding anvil shaped Each burning deed and thought ! ENDYMION.
Page 311 - Were half the power that fills the world with terror, Were half the wealth bestowed on camps and courts, Given to redeem the human mind from error, There were no need of arsenals nor forts : The warrior's name would be a name abhorred ! And every nation that should lift again Its hand against a brother, on its forehead Would wear forevermore the curse of Cain!
Page 158 - When thoughts Of the last bitter hour come like a blight Over thy spirit, and sad images Of the stern agony, and shroud, and pall, And breathless darkness, and the narrow house, Make thee to shudder, and grow sick at heart — Go forth, under the open sky, and list To Nature's teachings, while from all around — Earth and her waters, and the depths of air — Comes a still voice...
Page 415 - Ah! distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December, And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor. Eagerly I wished the morrow; vainly I had sought to borrow From my books surcease of sorrow — sorrow for the lost Lenore— For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore — Nameless here for evermore.
Page 416 - But the Raven still beguiling all my sad soul into smiling, Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird and bust and door; Then, upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore, What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt, and ominous bird of yore Meant in croaking "Nevermore.
Page 158 - To him who in the love of Nature holds Communion with her visible forms, she speaks A various language; for his gayer hours She has a voice of gladness, and a smile And eloquence of beauty, and she glides Into his darker musings, with a mild And healing sympathy, that steals away Their sharpness, ere he is aware.
Page 411 - Thus I pacified Psyche and kissed her, And tempted her out of her gloom, And conquered her scruples and gloom; And we passed to the end of the vista, But were stopped by the door of a tomb, By the door of a legended tomb; And I said — "What is written, sweet sister, On the door of this legended tomb?