Mossflower

My Favorite Poems

These are poems from my poetry book for this term. They were written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

The Secret of the Sea

Ah! what pleasant visions haunt me

As I gaze upon the sea!

All the old romantic legends,

All my dreams come back to me.

Sails of silk and ropes of sandal,

Such as those in ancient lore;

And the singing of the sailors,

And the answer from the shore!

Most of all, the Spanish ballad

Haunts me oft, and tarries long

Of the noble Count Arnaldos

And the seaman's mystic song.

Like the long waves on a sea-beach,

where the sand as silver shines,

With a soft, monotonous cadence,

Flow its unrhymed lyric lines:-

Telling how the Count Arnaldos,

With his hawk upon his hand,

Saw a fair and stately galley,

Steering onward to the land;-

How he heard the ancient helmsman

Chant a song so wild and clear,

That the circling sea-bird slowly

Perched upon the mast to hear,

Till his soul was full of longing,

and he cried with impulse strong,--

"Helmsman! for the love of heaven,

Teach me, too, that wondrous song!"

"Wouldst thou,"--so the helmsman answered,

"Learn the secret of the sea?

Only those who brave its dangers

Comprehend its mystery!"

In each sail that skims the horizon,

In each landward blowing breeze,

I behold that stately galley,

Hear those mournful melodies;

Till my soul is full of longing

For the secret of the sea,

And the heart of the great ocean

Sends a thrilling pulse through me.

Isn't that beautiful? and then this one is also one of my favorites:

Daybreak

A wind came up out of the sea,

And said, "O mists, make room for me."

It hailed the ships and cried, "Sail on,

Ye mariners, the night is gone."

And hurried landward far away,

Crying, "Awake! it is the day."

It said unto the forest, "Shout!

Hang all your leafy banners out!"

It touched the wood-bird's folded wing,

And said, "O bird, awake and sing."

And o'er the farms, "O chanticleer,

Your clarion blow; the day is near."

It whispered to the fields of corn,

"Bow down, and hail the coming morn."

It shouted through the belfry tower,

"Awake, O bell! proclaim the hour."

It crossed the churchyard with a sigh,

And said, "Not yet! In quiet lie."

Untitled Comment

12:56 PM, Feb. 4, 2006 .. Posted by The Sheildmaiden

I've always loved the story of Chanticleer, but I had never heard the other one. Definately a new favorite! I got in the mood night before last to read some really dramatic poetry -- so I picked up a book of Tennyson, lit a candle, and read "The Lady of Shalott" by candlelight. It was lovely!

Untitled Comment

2:10 PM, Mar. 10, 2006 .. Posted by prettyinpink

Henry Longfellow is my poet this term also.