See, where his difficult way that Old Man wins Bent by a load of Mulberry leaves! most hard Appears 'his' lot, to the small Worm's compared, For whom his toil with early day begins....
Fair Land! Thee all men greet with joy; how few, Whose souls take pride in freedom, virtue, fame, Part from thee without pity dyed in shame: I could not while from Venice we withdrew,...
As indignation mastered grief, my tongue Spake bitter words; words that did ill agree With those rich stores of Nature's imagery, And divine Art, that fast to memory clung...
Age! twine thy brows with fresh spring flowers, And call a train of laughing Hours; And bid them dance, and bid them sing; And thou, too, mingle in the ring! Take to thy heart a new delight;...
From Stirling castle we had seen The mazy Forth unravelled; Had trod the banks of Clyde, and Tay, And with the Tweed had travelled; And when we came to Clovenford, Then said my "winsome Marrow,"...
Degenerate Douglas! oh, the unworthy Lord! Whom mere despite of heart could so far please, And love of havoc, (for with such disease Fame taxes him,) that he could send forth word...
Fly, some kind Harbinger, to Grasmere-dale! Say that we come, and come by this day's light; Fly upon swiftest wing round field and height, But chiefly let one Cottage hear the tale;...
A Famous man is Robin Hood, The English ballad-singer's joy! And Scotland has a thief as good, An outlaw of as daring mood; She has her brave ROB ROY! Then clear the weeds from off his Grave,...
Now we are tired of boisterous joy, Have romped enough, my little Boy! Jane hangs her head upon my breast, And you shall bring your stool and rest; This corner is your own. ...
From the fierce aspect of this River, throwing His giant body o'er the steep rock's brink, Back in astonishment and fear we shrink: But, gradually a calmer look bestowing,...
Uttered by whom, or how inspired designed For what strange service, does this concert reach Our ears, and near the dwellings of mankind! 'Mid fields familiarized to human speech?...
Doomed as we are our native dust To wet with many a bitter shower, It ill befits us to disdain The altar, to deride the fane, Where simple Sufferers bend, in trust To win a happier hour. ...
Not, like his great Compeers, indignantly Doth Danube spring to life! The wandering Stream (Who loves the Cross, yet to the Crescent's gleam Unfolds a willing breast) with infant glee...
O life! without thy chequered scene Of right and wrong, of weal and woe, Success and failure, could a ground For magnanimity be found; For faith, 'mid ruined hopes, serene? Or whence could virtue flow?...
For gentlest uses, oft-times Nature takes The work of Fancy from her willing hands; And such a beautiful creation makes As renders needless spells and magic wands, And for the boldest tale belief commands....
Meek Virgin Mother, more benign Than fairest Star, upon the height Of thy own mountain, set to keep Lone vigils through the hours of sleep, What eye can look upon thy shrine Untroubled at the sight?...
"What know we of the Blest above But that they sing and that they love?" Yet, if they ever did inspire A mortal hymn, or shaped the choir, Now, where those harvest Damsels float...
Dread hour! when, upheaved by war's sulphurous blast, This sweet-visaged Cherub of Parian stone So far from the holy enclosure was cast, To couch in this thicket of brambles alone, ...