(1/4) A Prison gets to be a friend A Prison gets to be a friend — Between its Ponderous face And Ours — a Kinsmanship express — And in its narrow Eyes — We come to look with gratitude For the appointed Beam It deal us — stated as our food — And hungered for — the same —

The gleam of an heroic Act The gleam of an heroic Act Such strange illumination The Possible's slow fuse is lit By the Imagination.

Safe Despair it is that raves Safe Despair it is that raves — Agony is frugal. Puts itself severe away For its own perusal. Garrisoned no Soul can be In the Front of Trouble — Love is one, not aggregate — Nor is Dying double —

There is a finished feeling There is a finished feeling Experienced at Graves — A leisure of the Future — A Wilderness of Size. By Death's bold Exhibition Preciser what we are And the Eternal function Enabled to infer.

Each Scar I'll keep for Him Each Scar I'll keep for Him Instead I'll say of Gem In His long Absence worn A Costlier one But every Tear I bore Were He to count them o'er His own would fall so more I'll mis sum them.

(1/2) Summer — we all have seen Summer — we all have seen — A few of us — believed — A few — the more aspiring Unquestionably loved — But Summer does not care — She goes her spacious way As eligible as the moon To our Temerity — The Doom to be adored — The Affluence conferred —

Snow beneath whose chilly softness Snow beneath whose chilly softness Some that never lay Make their first Repose this Winter I admonish Thee Blanket Wealthier the Neighbor We so new bestow Than thine acclimated Creature Wilt Thou, Austere Snow?

Look back on Time, with kindly eyes Look back on time with kindly eyes, He doubtless did his best ; How softly sinks his trembling sun In human nature's west !

Bless God, he went as soldiers Bless God, he went as soldiers, His musket on his breast — Grant God, he charge the bravest Of all the martial blest! Please God, might I behold him In epauletted white — I should not fear the foe then — I should not fear the fight!

The grave my little cottage is The grave my little cottage is, Where "Keeping house" for thee I make my parlor orderly And lay the marble tea. For two divided, briefly, A cycle, it may be, Till everlasting life unite In strong society.

Did we disobey Him? Did we disobey Him? Just one time! Charged us to forget Him — But we couldn't learn! Were Himself — such a Dunce — What would we — do? Love the dull lad — best — Oh, wouldn't you?

The Bustle in a House The bustle in a house The morning after death Is solemnest of industries Enacted upon earth, — The sweeping up the heart, And putting love away We shall not want to use again Until eternity.

The harm of Years is on him The harm of Years is on him — The infamy of Time — Depose him like a Fashion And give Dominion room. Forget his Morning Forces — The Glory of Decay Is a minuter Pageant Than least Vitality.

A Tooth upon Our Peace A Tooth upon Our Peace The Peace cannot deface — Then Wherefore be the Tooth? To vitalize the Grace — The Heaven hath a Hell — Itself to signalize — And every sign before the Place Is Gilt with Sacrifice —

(1/2) Because the Bee may blameless hum Because the Bee may blameless hum For Thee a Bee do I become List even unto Me. Because the Flowers unafraid May lift a look on thine, a Maid Alway a Flower would be. Nor Robins, Robins need not hide When Thou upon their Crypts intrude

(1/2) The Malay — took the Pearl The Malay — took the Pearl — Not — I — the Earl — I — feared the Sea — too much Unsanctified — to touch — Praying that I might be Worthy — the Destiny — The Swarthy fellow swam — And bore my Jewel — Home — Home to the Hut! What lot Had I — the Jewel — got —

(1/3) Delight is as the flight Delight is as the flight — Or in the Ratio of it, As the Schools would say — The Rainbow's way — A Skein Flung colored, after Rain, Would suit as bright, Except that flight Were Aliment — "If it would last" I asked the East, When that Bent Stripe

Tis Anguish grander than Delight 'Tis Anguish grander than Delight 'Tis Resurrection Pain — The meeting Bands of smitten Face We questioned to, again. 'Tis Transport wild as thrills the Graves When Cerements let go And Creatures clad in Miracle Go up by Two and Two.

(1/2) We dream — it is good we are dreaming We dream — it is good we are dreaming — It would hurt us — were we awake — But since it is playing — kill us, And we are playing — shriek — What harm? Men die — externally — It is a truth — of Blood — But we — are dying in Drama —

(1/2) As imperceptibly as Grief As imperceptibly as Grief The Summer lapsed away — Too imperceptible at last To seem like Perfidy — A Quietness distilled As Twilight long begun, Or Nature spending with herself Sequestered Afternoon — The Dusk drew earlier in — The Morning foreign shone —

(1/2) Twas a long Parting — but the time 'Twas a long Parting — but the time For Interview — had Come — Before the Judgment Seat of God — The last — and second time These Fleshless Lovers met — A Heaven in a Gaze — A Heaven of Heavens — the Privilege Of one another's Eyes —

(1/2) Forever — is composed of Nows Forever — is composed of Nows — 'Tis not a different time — Except for Infiniteness — And Latitude of Home — From this — experienced Here — Remove the Dates — to These — Let Months dissolve in further Months — And Years — exhale in Years —

The Treason of an accent The Treason of an accent Might Ecstasy transfer — Of her effacing Fathom Is no Recoverer — — The Treason of an Accent Might vilify the Joy — To breathe — corrode the rapture Of Sanctity to be —

(1/2) As Summer into Autumn slips As Summer into Autumn slips And yet we sooner say "The Summer" than "the Autumn," lest We turn the sun away, And almost count it an Affront The presence to concede Of one however lovely, not The one that we have loved — So we evade the charge of Years

(1/2) Forever at His side to walk Forever at His side to walk — The smaller of the two! Brain of His Brain — Blood of His Blood — Two lives — One Being — now — Forever of His fate to taste — If grief — the largest part — If joy — to put my piece away For that beloved Heart —

(1/4) A Tongue — to tell Him I am true! A Tongue — to tell Him I am true! Its fee — to be of Gold — Had Nature — in Her monstrous House A single Ragged Child — To earn a Mine — would run That Interdicted Way, And tell Him — Charge thee speak it plain — That so far — Truth is True?

If I shouldn't be alive If I should n't be alive When the robins come, Give the one in red cravat A memorial crumb. If I could n't thank you, Being just asleep, You will know I'm trying With my granite lip !

(1/2) So bashful when I spied her! So bashful when I spied her, So pretty, so ashamed ! So hidden in her leaflets, Lest anybody find ; So breathless till I passed her, So helpless when I turned And bore her, struggling, blushing, Her simple haunts beyond ! For whom I robbed the dingle,

As old as Woe As old as Woe — How old is that? Some eighteen thousand years — As old as Bliss How old is that They are of equal years Together chiefest they ard found But seldom side by side From neither of them tho' he try Can Human nature hide

I took one Draught of Life I took one Draught of Life — I'll tell you what I paid — Precisely an existence — The market price, they said. They weighed me, Dust by Dust — They balanced Film with Film, Then handed me my Being's worth — A single Dram of Heaven!

Pursuing you in your transitions Pursuing you in your transitions, In other Motes — Of other Myths Your requisition be. The Prism never held the Hues, It only heard them play —

Which is best? Heaven Which is best? Heaven — Or only Heaven to come With that old Codicil of Doubt? I cannot help esteem The "Bird within the Hand" Superior to the one The "Bush" may yield me Or may not Too late to choose again.

(1/2) The Bat is dun, with wrinkled Wings The Bat is dun, with wrinkled Wings — Like fallow Article — And not a song pervade his Lips — Or none perceptible. His small Umbrella quaintly halved Describing in the Air An Arc alike inscrutable Elate Philosopher. Deputed from what Firmament —

The Himmaleh was known to stoop None

How fleet — how indiscreet an one How fleet - how indiscreet an one - how always wrong is Love - The joyful little Deity We are not scourged to serve -

(1/2) The Heart has narrow Banks The Heart has narrow Banks It measures like the Sea In mighty — unremitting Bass And Blue Monotony Till Hurricane bisect And as itself discerns Its insufficient Area The Heart convulsive learns That Calm is but a Wall Of unattempted Gauze

Our own possessions — though our own Our own possessions — though our own — 'Tis well to hoard anew — Remembering the Dimensions Of Possibility.

Exhilaration is the Breeze Exhilaration is the Breeze That lifts us from the Ground And leaves us in another place Whose statement is not found — Returns us not, but after time We soberly descend A little newer for the term Upon Enchanted Ground —

(1/2) As Watchers hang upon the East As Watchers hang upon the East, As Beggars revel at a feast By savory Fancy spread — As brooks in deserts babble sweet On ear too far for the delight, Heaven beguiles the tired. As that same watcher, when the East Opens the lid of Amethyst

(1/4) I dreaded that first Robin, so I dreaded that first Robin, so, But He is mastered, now, I'm some accustomed to Him grown, He hurts a little, though — I thought If I could only live Till that first Shout got by — Not all Pianos in the Woods Had power to mangle me —

(1/4) There is a flower that Bees prefer There is a flower that Bees prefer — And Butterflies — desire — To gain the Purple Democrat The Humming Bird — aspire — And Whatsoever Insect pass — A Honey bear away Proportioned to his several dearth And her — capacity —

Departed — to the Judgment Departed to the judgment, A mighty afternoon ; Great clouds like ushers leaning, Creation looking on. The flesh surrendered, cancelled, The bodiless begun ; Two worlds, like audiences, disperse And leave the soul alone.

To love thee Year by Year To love thee Year by Year — May less appear Than sacrifice, and cease — However, dear, Forever might be short, I thought to show — And so I pieced it, with a flower, now.

I've seen a Dying Eye I've seen a dying eye Run round and round a room In search of something, as it seemed, Then cloudier become ; And then, obscure with fog, And then be soldered down, Without disclosing what it be, 'T were blessed to have seen.

We play at Paste We play at Paste — Till qualified, for Pearl — Then, drop the Paste — And deem ourself a fool — The Shapes — though — were similar — And our new Hands Learned Gem-Tactics — Practicing Sands —

If it had no pencil If it had no pencil Would it try mine — Worn — now — and dull — sweet, Writing much to thee. If it had no word, Would it make the Daisy, Most as big as I was, When it plucked me?

(1/3) I think just how my shape will rise I think just how my shape will rise — When I shall be "forgiven" — Till Hair — and Eyes — and timid Head — Are out of sight — in Heaven — I think just how my lips will weigh — With shapeless — quivering — prayer — That you — so late — "Consider" me —

Ah, Necromancy Sweet! Ah, Necromancy Sweet! Ah, Wizard erudite! Teach me the skill, That I instil the pain Surgeons assuage in vain, Nor Herb of all the plain Can Heal!

My country need not change her gown My country need not change her gown, Her triple suit as sweet As when 'twas cut at Lexington, And first pronounced "a fit." Great Britain disapproves, "the stars"; Disparagement discreet, — There's something in their attitude That taunts her bayonet.

A prompt — executive Bird is the Jay A prompt — executive Bird is the Jay — Bold as a Bailiff's Hymn — Brittle and Brief in quality — Warrant in every line — Sitting a Bough like a Brigadier Confident and straight — Much is the mien of him in March As a Magistrate —