50Visit the soul in sleep,—that death is slumber,
And that its shapes the busy thoughts outnumber
Of those who wake and live.—I look on high;
Has some unknown omnipotence unfurled
The veil of life and death? or do I lie
55In dream, and does the mightier world of sleep
Spread far around and inaccessibly
Its circles? For the very spirit fails,
Driven like a homeless cloud from steep to steep
That vanishes among the viewless gales!
60Far, far above, piercing the infinite sky,
Mont Blanc appears,—still, snowy, and serene—
Its subject mountains their unearthly forms
Pile around it, ice and rock; broad vales between
Of frozen floods, unfathomable deeps,
65Blue as the overhanging heaven, that spread
And wind among the accumulated steeps;
A desart peopled by the storms alone,
Save when the eagle brings some hunter’s bone,
And the wolf tracts her there—how hideously
70Its shapes are heaped around! rude, bare, and high,
Ghastly, and scarred, and riven.—Is this the scene
Where the old Earthquake-daemon taught her young
Ruin? Were these their toys? or did a sea
Of fire, envelope once this silent snow?
75None can reply—all seems eternal now.
The wilderness has a mysterious tongue
Which teaches awful doubt, or faith so mild,
So solemn, so serene, that man may be
But for such faith with nature reconciled;
80Thou hast a voice, great Mountain, to repeal
Large codes of fraud and woe; not understood
By all, but which the wise, and great, and good
Interpret, or make felt, or deeply feel.
IV
The fields, the lakes, the forests, and the streams,
85Ocean, and all the living things that dwell
Within the daedal earth; lightning, and rain,
Earthquake, and fiery flood, and hurricane,
The torpor of the year when feeble dreams
Visit the hidden buds, or dreamless sleep
90Holds every future leaf and flower;—the bound
With which from that detested trance they leap;
The works and ways of man, their death and birth,
And that of him and all that his may be;
All things that move and breathe with toil and sound
95Are born and die; revolve, subside and swell.
Power dwells apart in its tranquillity
Remote, serene, and inaccessible:
And this, the naked countenance of earth,
On which I gaze, even these primaeval mountains
100Teach the adverting mind. The glaciers creep
Like snakes that watch their prey, from their far fountains,
Slow rolling on; there, many a precipice,
Frost and the Sun in scorn of mortal power
Have piled: dome, pyramid, and pinnacle,
105A city of death, distinct with many a tower
And wall impregnable of beaming ice.
Yet not a city, but a flood of ruin
Is there, that from the boundaries of the sky
Rolls its perpetual stream; vast pines are strewing
110Its destined path, or in the mangled soil
Branchless and shattered stand; the rocks, drawn down
From yon remotest waste, have overthrown
The limits of the dead and living world,
Never to be reclaimed. The dwelling-place
115Of insects, beasts, and birds, becomes its spoil;
Their food and their retreat for ever gone,
So much of life and joy is lost. The race
Of man, flies far in dread; his work and dwelling
Vanish, like smoke before the tempest’s stream,
120And their place is not known. Below, vast caves
Shine in the rushing torrents’ restless gleam,
Which from those secret chasms in tumult welling
Meet in the vale, and one majestic River,
The breath and blood of distant lands, for ever
125Rolls its loud waters to the ocean waves,
Breathes its swift vapours to the circling air.
V
Mont Blanc yet gleams on high:—the power is there,
The still and solemn power of many sights,
And many sounds, and much of life and death.
130In the calm darkness of the moonless nights,
In the lone glare of day, the snows descend
Nor when the flakes burn in the sinking sun,
Or the star-beams dart through them:—Winds contend
135Silently there, and heap the snow with breath
Rapid and strong, but silently! Its home
The voiceless lightning in these solitudes
Keeps innocently, and like vapour broods
Over the snow. The secret strength of things
140Which governs thought, and to the infinite dome
Of heaven is as a law, inhabits thee!
And what were thou, and earth, and stars, and sea,
If to the human mind’s imaginings
Silence and solitude were vacancy?
Mont Blanc
[Version B]
Scene—Pont Pellisier in the vale of Servox
In day the eternal universe of things
Flows through the mind, & rolls its rapid waves
Now dark, now glittering; now reflecting gloom
Now lending splendour, where, from secret caves
5The source of human thought its tribute brings
Of waters, with a sound not all it’s own:
Such as a feeble brook will oft assume
In the wild woods among the mountains lone
Where waterfalls around it leap forever
10Where winds & woods contend, & a vast river
Over its rocks ceaselessly bursts and raves
Thus thou Ravine of Arve, dark deep ravine,
Thou many coloured, many voiced vale!
Over whose rocks & pines & caverns sail
15Fast cloud shadows & sunbeams—awful scene,
Where Power in likeness of the Arve comes down
From the ice gulphs that gird his secret throne
Bursting through these dark mountains like the flame
Of lightning thro the tempest—thou dost lie
20Thy giant brood of pines around thee clinging
Children of elder time, in whose devotion
The charmed winds still come, & ever came
To drink thier odours, & thier mighty swinging
To hear, an old and solemn harmony;
25Thine earthly rainbows stretched across the sweep
Of the aerial waterfall, whose veil
Robes some unsculptured image; even the sleep
The sudden pause that does inhabit thee
Which when the voices of the desart fail
30And its hues wane, doth blend them all & steep
Thier periods in its own eternity;
Thy caverns echoing to the Arve’s commotion
A loud lone sound no other sound can tame:
Thou art pervaded with such ceaseless motion
35Thou art the path of that unresting sound
Ravine of Arve! & when I gaze on thee
I seem as in a vision deep & strange
To muse on my own various phantasy
My own, my human mind . . which passively
40Now renders & recieves fast influencings
Holding an unforeseeing interchange
With the clear universe of things around:
A legion of swift thoughts, whose wandering wings
Now float above thy darkness, & now res
t
45Near the still cave of the witch Poesy
Seeking among the shadows that pass by,
Ghosts of the things that are, some form like thee,
Some spectre, some faint image; till the breast
From which they fled recalls them—thou art there
50Some say that gleams of a remoter world
Visit the soul in sleep—that death is slumber
And that its shapes the busy thoughts outnumber
Of those who wake & live. I look on high
Has some unknown omnipotence unfurled
55The vail of life & death? or do I lie
In dream, & does the mightier world of sleep
Spread far around, & inaccessibly
Its circles?—for the very spirit fails
Driven like a homeless cloud from steep to steep
60That vanishes among the viewless gales.—
Far, far above, piercing the infinite sky
Mont Blanc appears, still, snowy & serene,
Its subject mountains thier unearthly forms
Pile round it—ice & rock—broad chasms between
65Of frozen waves, unfathomable deeps
Blue as the overhanging Heaven, that spread
And wind among the accumulated steeps,
Vast desarts, peopled by the storms alone
Save when the eagle brings some hunter’s bone
70And the wolf watches her—how hideously
Its rocks are heaped around, rude bare & high
Ghastly & scarred & riven!—is this the scene
Where the old Earthquake demon taught her young
Ruin? were these thier toys? or did a sea
75Of fire envelope once this silent snow?
None can reply—all seems eternal now.
This wilderness has a mysterious tongue
Which teaches awful doubt, or faith so mild
So simple, so serene that man may be
80In such a faith with Nature reconciled.
Ye have a doctrine Mountains to repeal
Large codes of fraud & woe—not understood
By all, but which the wise & great & good
Interpret, or make felt, or deeply feel.
85The fields, the lakes, the forests & the streams
Ocean, & all the living things that dwell
Within the dædal Earth, lightning & rain,
Earthquake & lava flood & hurricane—
The torpor of the year, when feeble dreams
90Visit the hidden buds, or dreamless sleep
Holds every future leaf & flower—the bound
With which from that detested trance they leap;
The works & ways of man, thier death & birth
And that of him, & all that his may be,
95All things that move & breathe with toil & sound
Are born & die, revolve subside & swell—
Power dwells apart in deep tranquillity,
Remote, sublime, & inaccessible,
And this, the naked countenance of Earth
100On which I gaze—even these primæval mountains
Teach the adverting mind.—the Glaciers creep
Like snakes that watch thier prey, from thier far fountains
Slow rolling on:—there, many a precipice
Frost & the Sun in scorn of human power
105Have piled: dome, pyramid & pinnacle
A city of death, distinct with many a tower
And wall impregnable of shining ice … .
A city’s phantom … but a flood of ruin
Is there, that from the boundaries of the sky
110Rolls its eternal stream . . vast pines are strewing
Its destined path, or in the mangled soil
Branchless & shattered stand—the rocks drawn down
From yon remotest waste have overthrown
The limits of the dead & living world
115Never to be reclaimed—the dwelling place
Of insects beasts & birds becomes its spoil,
Thier food & thier retreat for ever gone
So much of life & joy is lost—the race
Of man flies far in dread. his work & dwelling
120Vanish like smoke before the tempests stream
And thier place is not known:—below, vast caves
Shine in the gushing torrents’ restless gleam
Which from those secret chasms in tumult welling
Meet in the vale—& one majestic river
125The breath & blood of distant lands, forever
Rolls its loud waters to the Ocean waves
Breathes its swift vapours to the circling air.
Mont Blanc yet gleams on high—the Power is there
The still & solemn Power of many sights
130And many sounds, & much of life & death.
In the calm darkness of the moonless nights
Or the lone light of day the snows descend
Upon that mountain—none beholds them there—
Nor when the sunset wraps thier flakes in fire
135Or the starbeams dart thro them—winds contend
Silently there, & heap the snows, with breath
Blasting & swift—but silently—its home
The voiceless lightning in these solitudes
Keeps innocently, & like vapour broods
140Over the snow. the secret strength of things
Which governs thought, & to the infinite dome
Of Heaven is as a collumn, rests on thee,
And what were thou & Earth & Stars & Sea
If to the human minds imaginings
145Silence and solitude were Vacancy
Dedication before
LAON AND CYTHNA
THERE IS NO DANGER TO A MAN, THAT KNOWS WHAT LIFE AND DEATH IS: THERE’S NOT ANY LAW EXCEEDS HIS KNOWLEDGE; NEITHER IS IT LAWFUL THAT HE SHOULD STOOP TO ANY OTHER LAW.
CHAPMAN.
TO MARY ——— ——–
1
So now my summer-task is ended, Mary,
And I return to thee, mine own heart’s home;
As to his Queen some victor Knight of Faëry,
Earning bright spoils for her inchanted dome;
5Nor thou disdain, that ere my fame become
A star among the stars of mortal night,
If it indeed may cleave its natal gloom,
Its doubtful promise thus I would unite
With thy beloved name, thou Child of love and light.
2
10The toil which stole from thee so many an hour,
Is ended,—and the fruit is at thy feet!
No longer where the woods to frame a bower
With interlaced branches mix and meet,
Or where with sound like many voices sweet,
15Water-falls leap among wild islands green,
Which framed for my lone boat a lone retreat
Of moss-grown trees and weeds, shall I be seen:
But beside thee, where still my heart has ever been.
3
Thoughts of great deeds were mine, dear Friend, when first
20The clouds which wrap this world from youth did pass.
I do remember well the hour which burst
My spirit’s sleep: a fresh May-dawn it was,
When I walked forth upon the glittering grass,
And wept, I knew not why; until there rose
25From the near school-room, voices, that, alas!
Were but one echo from a world of woes—
The harsh and grating strife of tyrants and of foes.
4
And then I clasped my hands and looked around—
But none was near to mock my streaming eyes,
30Which poured their warm drops on the sunny ground—
So without shame, I spake:—‘I will be wise,
And just, and free, and mild, if in me lies
Such power, for I grow weary to behold
The selfish and the strong still tyrannise
35Without reproach or check.’ I then controuled
My tears, my heart grew calm, and I was meek and bold.
5
And from that hour did I with earnest thought
Heap knowledge from forbidden mines of lore,
Yet nothing that my tyrants knew or taught
40I cared to learn, but from that secret store
Wrought linked armour for my soul, before
It might walk forth to war among mankind;
Thus power and hope were strengthened more and more
Within me, till there came upon my mind
45A sense of loneliness, a thirst with which I pined.
6
Alas, that love should be a blight and snare
To those who seek all sympathies in one!—
Such once I sought in vain; then black despair,
The shadow of a starless night, was thrown
50Over the world in which I moved alone:—
Yet never found I one not false to me,
Hard hearts, and cold, like weights of icy stone
Which crushed and withered mine, that could not be
Aught but a lifeless clog, until revived by thee.
7
55Thou Friend, whose presence on my wintry heart
Fell, like bright Spring upon some herbless plain;
How beautiful and calm and free thou wert
In thy young wisdom, when the mortal chain
Of Custom thou didst burst and rend in twain,
60And walked as free as light the clouds among,
Which many an envious slave then breathed in vain
From his dim dungeon, and my spirit sprung
To meet thee from the woes which had begirt it long.
8
No more alone through the world’s wilderness,
65Although I trod the paths of high intent,
I journeyed now: no more companionless,
Where solitude is like despair, I went.—
There is the wisdom of a stern content
When Poverty can blight the just and good,
70When Infamy dares mock the innocent,
And cherished friends turn with the multitude
To trample: this was ours, and we unshaken stood!
9
Now has descended a serener hour,
And with inconstant fortune, friends return;