Why should man's high aspiring mind Burn in him with so proud a breath, When all his haughty views can find In this world yields to Death? The fair, the brave, the vain, the wise,...
A beautiful flower, that bedeck'd a mean pasture, In virgin perfection I found; Its fair bloom stood naked to every disaster, And deep the storm gather'd around:...
Dropt here and there upon the flower I love the dew to see, For then returns the even's hour That is so dear to me, When silence reigns upon the plain, And night hides all, or nearly;...
Mary, the day of love's pleasures has been, And the day is o'erclouded and gone; These eyes all their fulness of pleasure have seen, What they never again shall look on....
Of all the days in memory's list, Those motley banish'd days; Some overhung with sorrow's mist, Some gilt with hopeful rays; There is a day 'bove all the rest That has a lovely sound,...
On gloomy eve I roam'd about 'Neath Oxey's hazel bowers, While timid hares were darting out, To crop the dewy flowers; And soothing was the scene to me, Right pleased was my soul,...
There's the daisy, the woodbine, And crow-flower so golden; There's the wild rose, the eglantine, And May-buds unfolding; There are flowers for my fairy, And bowers for my love:...
The sultry day it wears away, And o'er the distant leas The mist again, in purple stain, Falls moist on flower and trees: His home to find, the weary hind Glad leaves his carts and ploughs;...
The morning road is thronged with merry boys Who seek the water for their Sunday joys; They run to seek the shallow pit, and wade And dance about the water in the shade....
By the old tavern door on the causey there lay A hogshead of stingo just rolled from a dray, And there stood the blacksmith awaiting a drop As dry as the cinders that lay in his shop;...
"Ah, where can he linger?" said Doll, with a sigh, As bearing her milk-burthen home: "Since he's broken his vow, near an hour has gone by, So fair as he promis'd to come."...
He could not die when trees were green, For he loved the time too well. His little hands, when flowers were seen, Were held for the bluebell, As he was carried oer the green. ...
Sweet is the violet, th' scented pea, Haunted by red-legged, sable bee, But sweeter far than all to me Is she I love so dearly; Than perfumed pea and sable bee, The face I love so dearly. ...
Timid and smiling, beautiful and shy, She drops her head at every passer bye. Afraid of praise she hurries down the streets And turns away from every smile she meets. The forward clown has many things to say...
I'll weep and sigh when e'er she wills To frown--and when she deigns to smile It will be cure for all my ills, And, foolish still, I'll laugh the while; But till that comes, I'll bless the rules...
How sweet is every lengthening day, And every change of weather, When Summer comes, on skies blue grey, And brings her hosts together, Her flocks of birds, her crowds of flowers,...
Old tree thou art wither'd--I pass'd thee last year, And the blackbird snug hid in thy branches did sing, Thy shadow stretch'd dark o'er the grass sprouting near,...
Sweet gem of infant fairy-flowers! Thy smiles on life' unclosing hours, Like sunbeams lost in summer showers, They wake my fears; When reason knows its sweets and sours, They'll change to tears. ...