The Complete Poetical Works of Samuel Taylor Coleridge Volume I Part 147

Coleridge's lectures, which were in course of delivery at that place), either by the lady to whom it is addressed, or by some other friend of Mr. Coleridge.' 1852, Notes, p. 385.

TO A LADY[424:1]

WITH FALCONER'S _s.h.i.+PWRECK_

Ah! not by Cam or Isis, famous streams, In arched groves, the youthful poet's choice; Nor while half-listening, 'mid delicious dreams, To harp and song from lady's hand and voice;

Not yet while gazing in sublimer mood 5 On cliff, or cataract, in Alpine dell; Nor in dim cave with bladdery sea-weed strewed.

Framing wild fancies to the ocean's swell;

Our sea-bard sang this song! which still he sings, And sings for thee, sweet friend! Hark, Pity, hark!

Now mounts, now totters on the tempest's wings, 11 Now groans, and s.h.i.+vers, the replunging bark!

'Cling to the shrouds!' In vain! The breakers roar-- Death shrieks! With two alone of all his clan Forlorn the poet paced the Grecian sh.o.r.e, 15 No cla.s.sic roamer, but a s.h.i.+pwrecked man!

Say then, what muse inspired these genial strains, And lit his spirit to so bright a flame?

The elevating thought of suffered pains, Which gentle hearts shall mourn; but chief, the name 20

Of grat.i.tude! remembrances of friend, Or absent or no more! shades of the Past, Which Love makes substance! Hence to thee I send, O dear as long as life and memory last!

I send with deep regards of heart and head, 25 Sweet maid, for friends.h.i.+p formed! this work to thee: And thou, the while thou canst not choose but shed A tear for Falconer, wilt remember me.

? 1814.

FOOTNOTES:

[424:1] First published in _Sibylline Leaves_, 1817: included in 1828, 1829, and 1834. A different or emended version headed 'Written in a Blank Leaf of Faulkner's s.h.i.+pwreck, presented by a friend to Miss K', was published in _Felix Farley's Bristol Journal_ of February 21, 1818.

[See Note by G. E. Weare, Weston-super-Mare, January, 1905.]

LINENOTES:

t.i.tle] To a Lady With Falkner's 's.h.i.+pwreck' S. L.

[2] arched] cloyst'ring F. F.

[3] 'mid] midst F. F.

[4] lady's] woman's F. F.

[5] sublimer] diviner F. F.

[6] On torrent falls, on woody mountain dell F. F.

[7] sea-weed] sea-weeds F. F.

[8] Attuning wild tales to the ocean's swell F. F.

[9] this] _this_ F. F.

[10] thee] _thee_ F. F.

[11] It mounts, it totters F. F.

[12] It groans, it quivers F. F.

[14] of] and F. F.

[15] Forlorn the] The toil-worn F. F.

[17-20]

Say then what power evoked such genial strains And beckon'd G.o.dlike to the trembling Muse?

The thought not pleasureless of suffer'd pains But _chiefly_ friends.h.i.+p's voice, her holy dues.

F. F.

[21] Demanding dear remembrances of friend F. F.

[22] Which love makes real! Thence F. F.

[24] life] love F. F.

[26] Sweet Maid for friends.h.i.+p framed this song to thee F. F.

[28] Falconer] FALKNER S. L.: Faulkner F. F. me] ME S. L., 1828, 1829.

HUMAN LIFE[425:1]

--ON THE DENIAL OF IMMORTALITY

If dead, we cease to be; if total gloom Swallow up life's brief flash for aye, we fare As summer-gusts, of sudden birth and doom, Whose sound and motion not alone declare, But are their whole of being! If the breath[425:2] 5 Be Life itself, and not its task and tent, If even a soul like Milton's can know death; O Man! thou vessel purposeless, unmeant, Yet drone-hive strange of phantom purposes!

Surplus of Nature's dread activity, 10 Which, as she gazed on some nigh-finished vase, Retreating slow, with meditative pause, She formed with restless hands unconsciously.

Blank accident! nothing's anomaly!

If rootless thus, thus substanceless thy state, 15 Go, weigh thy dreams, and be thy hopes, thy fears, The counter-weights!--Thy laughter and thy tears Mean but themselves, each fittest to create And to repay the other! Why rejoices Thy heart with hollow joy for hollow good? 20 Why cowl thy face beneath the mourner's hood?

Why waste thy sighs, and thy lamenting voices, Image of Image, Ghost of Ghostly Elf, That such a thing as thou feel'st warm or cold?

Yet what and whence thy gain, if thou withhold 25 These costless shadows of thy shadowy self?

Be sad! be glad! be neither! seek, or shun!

Thou hast no reason why! Thou canst have none; Thy being's being is contradiction.