703. To a Red-breast. In autumn's decline, thy lay which sweetly sooths, I beheld thee silent on the spray. The trees again dressed in gay leaves, While reflected rays streak the west, Thy cadence again sooths my uneasy | bosom, And trills the requiem of day-light departing. The first and third lines to rhime second and fourth — fifth and eighth-sixth and seventh. 704 The transitory little flower is no sooner born*, Its little year is terminated at evening, * Born. Although many persons confine this word to the birth of living creatures, and some even exclusively restrict it to the human species, there is no impropriety-none in poetry at least in applying it to irrational creatures, or to inanimate productions. As a As a cow bears a calf, and the earth bears flowers, the calf is born of the cow, and the flowers born of the earth; which, in reality, means nothing else than borne by the cow or the earth; born and borne having been originally the same identical participle from Bear, though they now happen to be differently pronounced. But that difference of sound is purely accidental, and such as we may every day observe in Torn, Shorn, and Forlorn; some speakers making them to rhime with Horn, others with Sworn; which latter prounciation, by the way, is more agreeable to etymology; those words being formed by syncope from the antique Toren, Shōren, Forlōrén, as Born and Sworn from Börẻn and Swōren; whereas the other sound (rhim And thus man's life:- the child Then remains a while, 'till Time, with quick wing, Drives him on to Age's dreary wilderness. The first and fourth lines to rhime-second and third -fifth and eighth-sixth and seventh eleventh- tenth and twelfth. 705 seventh-ninth and Man of the grey hair, thou must wander Through [the] waste destitute of water, and over [the] hill destitute of herbs, Where no blossom blooms, and where no rivulet rolls, To cheer thy journey to Death, thy journey | void of joy. Shines on shades resounding with the song of birds, and quiet valleys. He looks right before him with that eye void of fear, ing with Horn) was originally only a provincialism, such as, tò this day, we may perceive in many of the natives of certain distant counties, who often pronounce the long like AW, thus converting Joe into Jaw, Know into Gnaw, Whole into Wall, sounded exactly like the wall of a house. "The" is to be omitted, in both cases. others having an admixture of different feet, or a supernumerary un-accented syllable at the end. 706 Laura's eyes, in soft dismay, Chiding frowns would fain betray. 707 Hail to Pleasure's frolic train! 708.-To the Sky-lark. Sweetest warbler of the skies, 709.-Written in a Garden. Here, amidst this blest retreat, May each fairy fix her seat: May they weave their garlands here, And with autumn's mellow hoard 710 Where the rising forest spreads Haste, ye sister pow'rs of song! Trochaics to be made. Each line to be one verse; each couplet to rhime; the Italic words requiring alteration or addition, as in page 196. 712 Now battle glows with fury: 713 Earth resumes all her verdure: All its splendor illumes heav'n. 714 The voice, the dance, obey thee, To thy warbled lay temper'd. Wherever she directs her welcome step, Poverty ceases to grieve: Where her smiles enliven the prospect, Anguish dries the tear. 716 Here you will meet with intellectual pleasures- The pleasures of sense are transitory: 717 Be no longer alarmed, little trembler: Thou hast plentiful crops stored up Seed, sown by genial sorrows, More than all thy scorners possess. 718 Rise, | amiable | repentant ; Come, and lay claim to thy kindred heaven. Come! thy sister angels declare Thou hast wept out thy stains. 719 Charming songster, begin the song, Ever new and gay. Bring the wine which inspires joy, Ever fresh and fine. Gentle boy, whose feet Move lightly to melodious cadence, Quickly fill us the wine, Ever fresh and fine. 720 Now let experience determine Between the good and evil of which you have made trial. In the level ground where enchantment reigns, |