Classic Poem

SCENE — Garden and Bower by the Sea.

E LISSA , alone . Come, Festus, let me think ou thee, my love!
And fold the thought of thee unto my soul,
Until it fills it, and is one with it.
Ah! these poor arms are far from where they should be;
And this heart further still. Mine only love!
Why art thou thus so long away from me?
I have whispered it unto the southern wind
And charged it with my love: why should it not
Carry that love to thee as air bears light?
And thou hast said I was all light to thee.
The stars grow bright together, and for aye,
Lover-like, watch each other; and though apart,
Like us, they fill each other's eyes with love
And beauty: and mine only fill with tears.
Oh! life is less than nothing without love!
And what is love without the embrace of love?
I would give worlds for one more ere I die.
Festus! come to me. I do think I am dying.
Let me bequeathe my life to thee, that so,
In doubling thine, I may live alway with thee.
I know that I am dying. It is my heart
Which makes me live that kills me. But I want
To see him ere I do die. Oh! he will come!
He must know how I love him. It is long —
Long since I saw him: I am ill with waiting.
And I will fancy him coming to me now —
Now he is thinking of me, loving me —
He sees me — flies to me, half out of breath —
His hand is on my arm — he looks on me —
And puts my long locks backwards — God! Thy ban
Lies upon waking dreams. To weep and sleep —
Dream — wake, and find one's only one hope false, —
Is what we can bear, for we do endure it,
And bear with Heaven still. Just one year ago,
I watched that large bright star where it is now: —
Time hath not touched its everlasting lightning,
Nor dimmed the glorious glances of its eye —
Nor passion clouded it — nor any star
Eclipsed — it is the leader still of Heaven.
And I who loved it then can love it now;
But am not what I was, in one degree.
Calm star! who was it named thee Lucifer,
From him who drew the third of Heaven down with him?
Oh! it was but the tradition of thy beauty!
For if the sun hath one part, and the moon one,
Thou hast the third part of the host of Heaven —
Which is its power — which power is its beauty!
L UCIFER . It was no tradition, lady, but of truth!
E LISSA . I thought we parted last to meet no more.
L UCIFER . It was so lady; but it is not so.
E LISSA . Am I to leave, or thou, then?
L UCIFER . Neither, yet.
I mean that thou shouldst fear me and obey.
E LISSA . And who art thou that I should fear and serve?
L UCIFER . I am the morning and the evening star,
The star thou lovest and thy lover too;
I am that star! as once before I told thee,
Though thou wouldst not believe me, but I am
A spirit, and a star — a power — an ill
Which doth outbalance being. Look at me!
Am I not more than mortal in my form?
Millions of years have circled round my brow
Like worlds upon their centres; — still I live;
And age but presses with a halo's weight.
This single arm hath dashed the light of Heaven;
This one hand dragged the angels from their thrones: —
Am I not worthy to have loved thee, lady?
Thou mortal model of all Heavenliness!
And yet I have abandoned all these spoils,
Cowered my powers, and becalmed my course,
And stooped from the high destruction of the skies
For thee, and for the youth who loveth thee —
And is lost with ye: ye are both, both — lost!
Thou hast but served the purpose of the Fiend.
And thou art but the vessel of the sin
Whose poison hath made drunk a soul to death;
And he hath drunk; and thou art useless now.
And it is for this I come; to bid thee die!
E LISSA . I said that I was dying. God is good.
The Heavens grow darker as they grow the purer
And both, as we do near them; so, near death,
The soul grows darker and diviner, hourly.
Could I love less I should be happier!
But it is always to that mad extreme,
That death alone appears the fitting finish
To bliss like that my spirit presses for.
L UCIFER . Thy death shall be as gentle as thy life.
I will not hurt thee, for I loved thee once.
And thy sweet love, upon my burning breast,
Fell like a snowflake on a fevered lip.
Thy soul shall pass out of thee like a dream.
One moment more, and thou shalt wake in Heaven!
E LISSA . I ever thought thee to be more than mortal.
And if thou art thus mighty, grant me this! —
Since now we love no more — as friend to friend —
Bring him I love, one moment, ere I die.
L UCIFER . Thou judgest well; I am all but almighty.
And I have stretched my strength unto its limits
To satisfy the heart of him who loves thee:
In proof whereof, did I not give up thee,
Because he loved thee? I have given him all things
Body or spirit could desire or have.
And even, at this moment, now he reigns
King of the sun, and monarch of the seven
Orbs that surround him — leaving earth alone —
The earth is in good keeping as it is.
I know that he is hasting hither now;
But may not see thee living.
E LISSA . It is not thou
Who takest life: it is God, whose I shall be! —
And his, with God, whom here my heart deifies.
I glory in his power as in his love.
But I will, will see him while I am alive.
I hear him — he is come — it is he! it is he!
L UCIFER . Die! thou shalt never look on him again.
E LISSA . My love! haste, Festus! I am dying —
L UCIFER . Dead!
A word could kill her. She hath gone to Heaven.
F ESTUS . Fiend! what is this? Elissa — she is not dead.
L UCIFER . She is. I bade her die, as I had reason.
F ESTUS . Now do I hate thee and renounce for ever! —
Abhor thee — go!
L UCIFER . Who seeks the other first?
I am gone.
F ESTUS . Away, Fiend! Leave me! My Elissa!