"I looked to heaven, and tried to pray; But or ever a prayer had gusht, A wicked whisper came, and made "The moving Moon went up the sky, And nowhere did abide : Softly she was going up, And a star or two beside. "Beyond the shadow of the ship, I watched the water-snakes: They moved in tracks of shining white, And when they reared, the elfish light Fell off in hoary flakes. "Within the shadow of the ship I watched their rich attire: Blue, glossy green, and velvet black, They coiled and swam; and every track Was a flash of golden fire. "O happy living things! no tongue Their beauty might declare : A spring of love gushed from my heart, And I blessed them unaware: Sure my kind Saint took pity on me, "The selfsame moment I could pray; And from my neck so free The Albatross fell off, and sank "And soon I heard a roaring wind: It did not come anear; But with its sound it shook the sails, "The loud wind never reached the ship, Yet now the ship moved on! Beneath the lightning and the moon The dead men gave a groan. "They groaned, they stirred, they all uprose, Nor spake, nor moved their eyes; It had been strange, even in a dream, To have seen those dead men rise. "The helmsman steered, the ship moved on, Yet never a breeze up blew ; The mariners all 'gan work the ropes, Where they were wont to do; They raised their limbs like lifeless tools We were a ghastly crew." "I fear thee, ancient Mariner !" "Swiftly, swiftly flew the ship, Sweetly, sweetly blew the breeze On me alone it blew. "Oh! dream of joy! is this indeed The light-house top I see? Is this the hill? is this the kirk? Is this mine own countree? "Since then, at an uncertain hour, And till my ghastly tale is told, "I pass, like night, from land to land; I know the man that must hear me : "What loud uproar bursts from that door! The wedding-guests are there : But in the garden-bower the bride "O sweeter than the marriage-feast, 'Tis sweeter far to me, To walk together to the kirk With a goodly company! "To walk together to the kirk, And all together pray, While each to his great Father bends, Old men, and babes, and loving friends, And youths and maidens gay! "Farewell, farewell! but this I tell To thee, thou Wedding-Guest! He prayeth well, who loveth well "He prayeth best, who loveth best S. T. Coleridge XXXIX SONG OF ARIEL 'OME unto these yellow sands, COM And then take hands, Curtsied when you have and kiss'd; (The wild waves whist) — Foot it featly here and there; And, sweet sprites, the burden bear. Hark, hark! Bough wough, The watch dogs bark, Bough wough, Hark, hark! I hear The strain of strutting chanticleer, Cry, cock-a-doodle-doo. W. Shakespeare H XL HOW'S MY BOY? O, sailor of the sea! How's my boy - my boy? 'What's your boy's name, good wife, And in what good ship sail'd he?' My boy John He that went to sea What care I for the ship, sailor? My boy's my boy to me. You come back from sea And not know my John? I might as well have asked some landsman Yonder down in the town. There's not an ass in all the parish But he knows my John. How's my boy - my boy? Brass button or no, sailor, Sure his ship was the Folly Briton · And why should I speak low, sailor? |