Classic Poem

I.

Once more, with skies above her
Of endless perfect air,
With sunlit leaves to love her
And whisper, " Thou art fair; "
Once more — and statelier, surer,
When summer's hymn was done —
From woman's mouth came purer
The anthems of the sun:
Once more, in honeyed metre
That charmed grief to repose,
From woman's lips came sweeter
The lyrics of the rose.

II.

Once more the word was spoken
That fills with mirth and might
The heart, — then leaves it broken: —
Grief once more slew delight
Delight again came saying
(And I believed again!)
" When pleasure goes a-maying
Grief is not of his train. "
When silvery may-bloom glistens
Is there one whitethorn leaf
Sun-kissed and glad which listens
To the cold song of grief?

III.

Not one So, each spring season
The human heart awakes,
Forgets past grief and treason:
Man's whole heart never breaks
One woman's heart is broken,
One man's heart flags and dies:
Love's last word is not spoken;
The sun is in the skies.
A thousand souls each summer
Would learn Love's rites and laws:
Dead lies the pale last-comer;
They glance, but never pause.

IV.

Each says: " Though hearts preceding
Were broken one by one,
Yet follow we Love's leading
As hope pursues the sun.
A thousand shipwrecks follow
The North wind's course, maybe:
Does one fierce shipwreck hollow
One slight gulf in the sea?
Nay! all the sea is smiling,
As if no ship were slain;
The blue waves are beguiling
The white sails forth again.

V.

" Some new ship, newly starting,
May win the unseen far goal;
May bribe the waves swift-darting,
Evade the thunder's roll;
May reach the magic islands
Where perfect pleasure waits,
Soft fragrance from whose highlands
May float through morning's gates —
So we, past wild winds' capture,
Past waves that wail and moan,
May win the unfading rapture
No man has ever known. "

VI.

Aye, so man argues daily
The very fields that saw
Love's death, hear voices gaily
Proclaim love's deathless law
Within these forest alleys
To-day two histories close;
To-morrow forth love sallies
Pearl-laden from the rose: —
Here some sad heart was broken;
Sad eyes saw nought beyond;
Here love's first word is spoken
And new soft eyes respond.

VII.

We force Fate's gates asunder;
The young, the glad, the old,
The sad, hear August's thunder,
See autumn's forest gold:
All souls, together blended,
See all the year go by;
See June's wild rapture ended,
Watch hoar December die:
Yea, even the deadliest weather
When ocean's victory's won
To glad hearts linked together
Seems gracious with the sun.

VIII.

Is hope in one heart dying?
Is rapture wholly fled?
The great sun is not sighing:
The bright stars are not dead.
With footsteps surer, firmer,
New lovers tread the vale;
Their young red soft lips murmur
The same sweet glad old tale. —
Love yields his slaves up never;
He grants no soul release:
Love haunts all hearts for ever,
Yet brings not one heart peace.