Songs of the Springtides and Birthday Ode - Taken from The Collected Poetical Works of Algernon Charles - Swinburne—Vol. III by Algernon Charles Swinburne
page 58 of 74 (78%)
page 58 of 74 (78%)
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Or with their own hands wounded, or by fate
Brought into bondage of men's fear or hate. In violence of strange visions north and south Confronted, east and west, [_Ant._ 5. With frozen or fiery breast, Eyes fixed or fevered, pale or bloodred mouth, 180 Kept watch about his dawn-enkindled dreams; But ere high noon a light of nearer beams Made his young heaven of manhood more benign, And love made soft his lips with spiritual wine, And left them fired, and fed With sacramental bread, And sweet with honey of tenderer words than tears To feed men's hopes and fortify men's fears, And strong to silence with benignant breath The lips that doom to death, 190 And swift with speech like fire in fiery lands To melt the steel's edge in the headsman's hands. Higher than they rose of old, [_Ep._ 5. New builded now, behold, The live great likeness of Our Lady's towers; And round them like a dove Wounded, and sick with love, One fair ghost moving, crowned with fateful flowers, Watched yet with eyes of bloodred lust 199 And eyes of love's heart broken and unbroken trust. But sadder always under shadowier skies, [_Str._ 6. |
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