Poems — Volume 3

Chapter 1 · 1/97

Poems — Volume 3

Chapter 1

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Transcribed from the 1912 Times Book Club “Surrey” edition by David Price, email ccx074@pglaf.org [Picture: Book cover] [Picture: The South Wester] POEMS VOL. III BY GEORGE MEREDITH * * * * * SURREY EDITION * * * * * LONDON THE TIMES BOOK CLUB 376–384 OXFORD STREET, W. 1912 * * * * * Edinburgh: T. and A. Constable, Printers to his Majesty CONTENTS PAGE A STAVE OF ROVING TIM, 1 The wind is East, the wind is West, JUMP-TO-GLORY JANE, 5 A revelation came on Jane, THE RIDDLE FOR MEN, 14 This Riddle rede or die, THE SAGE ENAMOURED AND THE HONEST LADY, 15 One fairest of the ripe unwedded left ‘LOVE IS WINGED FOR TWO,’ 30 ‘ASK, IS LOVE DIVINE,’ 30 ‘JOY IS FLEET,’ 31 THE LESSON OF GRIEF, 31 Not ere the bitter herb we taste, WIND ON THE LYRE, 32 That was the chirp of Ariel THE YOUTHFUL QUEST, 33 His Lady queen of woods to meet, THE EMPTY PURSE, 34 Thou, run to the dry on this wayside bank, TO THE COMIC SPIRIT, 56 Sword of Common Sense!— YOUTH IN MEMORY, 68 Days, when the ball of our vision PENETRATION AND TRUST, 75 Sleek as a lizard at round of a stone, NIGHT OF FROST IN MAY, 76 With splendour of a silver day, THE TEACHING OF THE NUDE, 79 A Satyr spied a Goddess in her bath, BREATH OF THE BRIAR, 81 O briar-scents, on yon wet wing EMPEDOCLES, 82 He leaped. With none to hinder, ENGLAND BEFORE THE STORM, 83 The day that is the night of days, TARDY SPRING, 85 Now the North wind ceases, THE LABOURER, 87 For a Heracles in his fighting ire there is never the glory that follows FORESIGHT AND PATIENCE, 89 Sprung of the father blood, the mother brain, THE WARNING, 99 We have seen mighty men ballooning high, OUTSIDE THE CROWD, 99 To sit on History in an easy chair, TRAFALGAR DAY, 100 He leads: we hear our Seaman’s call Odes in Contribution to the Song of French History THE REVOLUTION, 105 Not yet had History’s Aetna smoked the skies, NAPOLÉON, 116 Cannon his name, FRANCE, 140 We look for her that sunlike stood ALSACE-LORRAINE, 150 The sister Hours in circles linked, THE CAGEING OF ARES, 170 How big of breast our Mother Gaea laughed THE NIGHT-WALK, 175 Awakes for me and leaps from shroud AT THE CLOSE, 178 To Thee, dear God of Mercy, both appeal, A GARDEN IDYL, 179 With sagest craft Arachne worked A Reading of Life THE VITAL CHOICE, 185 Or shall we run with Artemis WITH THE HUNTRESS, 186 Through the water-eye of night, WITH THE PERSUADER, 189 Who murmurs, hither, hither: who THE TEST OF MANHOOD, 200 Like a flood river whirled at rocky banks, THE HUELESS LOVE, 208 Unto that love must we through fire attain, UNION IN DISSEVERANCE, 209 Sunset worn to its last vermilion he; SONG IN THE SONGLESS, 210 They have no song, the sedges dry, THE BURDEN OF STRENGTH, 210 If that thou hast the gift of strength, then know THE MAIN REGRET, 211 Seen, too clear and historic within us, our sins of omission ALTERNATION, 211 Between the fountain and the rill FOREST HISTORY, 212 Beneath the vans of doom did men pass in. Fragments of the Iliad in English Hexameter Verse THE INVECTIVE OF ACHILLES, 221 ‘Heigh me! brazen of front, thou glutton for plunder, how can one, ‘Bibber besotted, with scowl of a cur, having heart of a deer, thou! MARSHALLING OF THE ACHAIANS, 225 Like as a terrible fire feeds fast on a forest enormous, AGAMEMNON IN THE FIGHT, 227 These, then, he left, and away where ranks were now clashing the thickest, PARIS AND DIOMEDES, 228 So he, with a clear shout of laughter, HYPNOS ON IDA, 230 They then to fountain-abundant Ida, mother of wild beasts, CLASH IN ARMS OF THE ACHAIANS AND TROJANS, 231 Not the sea-wave so bellows abroad when it bursts upon shingle, THE HORSES OF ACHILLES, 232 So now the horses of Aiakides, off wide of the war-ground, THE MARES OF THE CAMARGUE, 234 A hundred mares, all white! their manes ‘ATKINS’, 236 Yonder’s the man with his life in his hand, THE VOYAGE OF THE ‘OPHIR’, 237 Men of our race, we send you one THE CRISIS, 239 Spirit of Russia, now has come OCTOBER 21, 1905, 241 The hundred years have passed, and he THE CENTENARY OF GARIBALDI, 243 We who have seen Italia in the throes, THE WILD ROSE, 245 High climbs June’s wild rose, THE CALL, 247 Under what spell are we debased ON COMO, 250 A rainless darkness drew o’er the lake MILTON, 251 What splendour of imperial station man, IRELAND, 253 Fire in her ashes Ireland feels THE YEARS HAD WORN THEIR SEASONS’ BELT, 255 The years had worn their seasons’ belt, FRAGMENTS, 257 Open horizons round, A wilding little stubble flower From labours through the night, outworn, This love of nature, that allures to take IL Y A CENT ANS, 259 That march of the funereal Past behold; YOUTH IN AGE, 261 Once I was part of the music I heard Epitaphs TO A FRIEND LOST, 265 When I remember, friend, whom lost I call, M. M., 265 Who call her Mother and who calls her Wife THE LADY C. M., 266 To them that knew her, there is vital flame ON THE TOMBSTONE OF JAMES CHRISTOPHER WILSON, 266 Thou our beloved and light of Earth hast crossed GORDON OF KHARTOUM, 266 Of men he would have raised to light he fell: J. M., 267 A fountain of our sweetest, quick to spring THE EMPEROR FREDERICK OF OUR TIME, 267 With Alfred and St. Louis he doth win ISLET THE DACHS, 267 Our Islet out of Helgoland, dismissed ON HEARING THE NEWS FROM VENICE, 268 Now dumb is he who waked the world to speak, HAWARDEN, 269 When comes the lighted day for men to read AT THE FUNERAL, 270 Her sacred body bear: the tenement ANGELA BURDETT-COUTTS, 270 Long with us, now she leaves us; she has rest THE YEAR’S SHEDDINGS, 270 The varied colours are a fitful heap: A STAVE OF ROVING TIM (ADDRESSED TO CERTAIN FRIENDLY TRAMPS.)

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