The Early Poems of Alfred Lord Tennyson Part 11

Her song the lintwhite swelleth, The clear-voiced mavis dwelleth, The callow throstle [2] lispeth, The slumbrous wave outwelleth, The babbling runnel crispeth, The hollow grot replieth Where Claribel low-lieth.

[Footnote 1: 1830. "Wild" omitted, and "low" inserted with a hyphen before "hummeth".]

[Footnote 2: 1851 and all previous editions, "fledgling" for "callow".]

LILIAN

First printed in 1830.

1

Airy, fairy Lilian, Flitting, fairy Lilian, When I ask her if she love me, Claps her tiny hands above me, Laughing all she can; She'll not tell me if she love me, Cruel little Lilian.

2

When my pa.s.sion seeks Pleasance in love-sighs She, looking thro' and thro' [1] me Thoroughly to undo me, Smiling, never speaks: So innocent-arch, so cunning-simple, From beneath her gather'd wimple [2]

Glancing with black-beaded eyes, Till the lightning laughters dimple The baby-roses in her cheeks; Then away she flies.

3

Prythee weep, May Lilian!

Gaiety without eclipse Wearieth me, May Lilian: Thro' [3] my very heart it thrilleth When from crimson-threaded [4] lips Silver-treble laughter [5] trilleth: Prythee weep, May Lilian.

4

Praying all I can, If prayers will not hush thee, Airy Lilian, Like a rose-leaf I will crush thee, Fairy Lilian.

[Footnote 1: 1830. Through and through me.]

[Footnote 2: 1830. Purfled.]

[Footnote 3: 1830. Through.]

[Footnote 4: With "crimson-threaded" 'cf.' Cleveland's 'Sing-song on Clarinda's Wedding', "Her 'lips those threads of scarlet dye'"; but the original is 'Solomons Song' iv. 3, "Thy lips are 'like a thread of scarlet'".]

[Footnote 5: 1830. Silver treble-laughter.]

ISABEL

First printed in 1830.

Lord Tennyson tells us ('Life of Tennyson', i., 43) that in this poem his father more or less described his own mother, who was a "remarkable and saintly woman". In this as in the other poems elaborately painting women we may perhaps suspect the influence of Wordsworth's 'Triad', which should be compared with them.

1

Eyes not down-dropt nor over-bright, but fed With the clear-pointed flame of chast.i.ty, Clear, without heat, undying, tended by Pure vestal thoughts in the translucent fane Of her still spirit [1]; locks not wide-dispread, Madonna-wise on either side her head; Sweet lips whereon perpetually did reign The summer calm of golden charity, Were fixed shadows of thy fixed mood, Revered Isabel, the crown and head, The stately flower of female fort.i.tude, Of perfect wifehood and pure lowlihead. [2]

2

The intuitive decision of a bright And thorough-edged intellect to part Error from crime; a prudence to withhold; The laws of marriage [3] character'd in gold Upon the blanched [4] tablets of her heart; A love still burning upward, giving light To read those laws; an accent very low In blandishment, but a most silver flow Of subtle-paced counsel in distress, Right to the heart and brain, tho' undescried, Winning its way with extreme gentleness Thro' [5] all the outworks of suspicious pride.

A courage to endure and to obey; A hate of gossip parlance, and of sway, Crown'd Isabel, thro' [6] all her placid life, The queen of marriage, a most perfect wife.

3

The mellow'd reflex of a winter moon; A clear stream flowing with a muddy one, Till in its onward current it absorbs With swifter movement and in purer light The vexed eddies of its wayward brother: A leaning and upbearing parasite, Clothing the stem, which else had fallen quite, With cl.u.s.ter'd flower-bells and ambrosial orbs Of rich fruit-bunches leaning on each other-- Shadow forth thee:--the world hath not another (Though all her fairest forms are types of thee, And thou of G.o.d in thy great charity) Of such a finish'd chasten'd purity,

[Footnote 1: With these lines may be compared Sh.e.l.ley, 'Dedication to the Revolt of Islam':--

And through thine eyes, e'en in thy soul, I see A lamp of vestal fire burning eternally.]

[Footnote 2: Lowlihead a favourite word with Chaucer and Spenser.]

[Footnote 3: 1830. Wifehood.]

[Footnote 4: 1830. Blenched.]

[Footnote 5: 1830 and all before 1853. Through.]

[Footnote 6: 1830. Through.]

MARIANA

"Mariana in the moated grange."--'Measure for Measure'.

First printed in 1830.