POEMS, LYRICS, AND SONNETS.
BYL.S. BEVINGTON,
author of “Key‐Notes,” etc.
London:
Elliot Stock,
62, Paternoster Row, E.C.
1882.“It is not style or rhymes or a new image more or less that imports, but sanity.... When life is true to the poles of nature, the streams of truth will roll through us in song.... In good society, nay, among the angels in heaven, is not everything spoken in fine parable, and not so servilely as it befell to the sense?....
The solid men complain that the idealist leaves out the fundamental facts; the poet complains that the solid men leave out the sky. To every plant there are two powers; one shoots down as rootlet, and one upward as tree. You must have eyes of science to see in the seed its nodes; you must have the vivacity of the poet to perceive in the thought its futurities.”
—EMERSON.
- “BUT now I let the aching splendour go,
- I dare not call the crownèd angels peers,
- Henceforth! I am content to dwell below,
- ’Mid common joys, with humble smiles and tears,
- Delighted in the sun and breeze to grow,
- A child of human hopes and human fears.”
WATHEN MARK WILKS CALL.
“LEBEN ist jedoch des Lebens höchstes Ziel Und immer ist die arme Kunst gezwungen Zu bettlen von des Lebens Ueberfluss.”
Dedication.
TO C.A.V.
- Not that the theme is worthy, nor the lay
- Such as your heart would have, one time in three;
- Yet, battling, I would chaunt of victory
- All life’s night through: though dubious dream of day
- Scarcely suffices me to shed one ray
- O’er the fierce field where you must fighting be;—
- Yet you have brought a little sword to me
- Of strange new metal that I would essay.
- And thanks are due. So thank I you in songs,
- And having sung, my turn me hence, to strive
- What time strength stays with me—alert, alive,
- To right some trifle of the night’s dumb wrongs;
- And if through minstrelsy one plea may thrive,
- To you memorial gratitude belongs.
Contents.
- Part I. POEMS AND LYRICS
- “Subh‐I‐Kazib” 15
- The Valley of Remorse 23
- Pent 32
- Wrestling 33
- Bees In Clover 34
- Whither? 37
- Your Treasure 38
- The Pessimist 43
- Steel Or Gold (A Question) 53
- Gold And Steel (The Answer) 55
- Till The Mist Passes 56
- The Poet’s Tear 59
- Cloud‐Climbing 61
- O Ye Joys! 63
- “Egoisme À Deux” 67
- Valuation 68
- Then And Now 69
- Three 71
- page: 12
- Unperfected 76
- Perfected 77
- Not Ye Who Goad 78
- Stanzas 80
- A Dismissal 81
- Hope Deferred 83
- Hope Preferred 84
- The Sceptic 85
- The Unpardonable Sin 98
- Hated 100
- “Let There Be Light” 102
- The Life‐Power 103
- How Do I Know? 105
- Stanza 107
- My Little Task 108
- “Merle Wood” 110
- The Poet, And His Interpreters 112
- Love And Language 117
- At Sabbath Dawn 118
- Tell Me 120
- Why? 121
- Measurements 123
- Religion (An Essay In Couplets) 124
- Through (A Vision Of Victory) 127
- Part II. Sonnets.
- Without Regret 139
- Love’s Height 140
- Love’s Depth 141
- Her Worst And Best 142
- Poor Lisa 143
- Am I To Lose You? 144
- Love’s Ethic 145
- Ye Poets 146
- To A Critic 147
- One More Bruised Heart! 148
- Poet To Poet 149
- At My Word 150
- Dream‐Love 151
- One New Year’s Eve 152
- I. Man Versus Ascetic 153
- II. Man Versus Ascetic 154
- III. Man Versus Ascetic 155
- IV. Man Versus Ascetic 156
- V. Man Versus Ascetic 157
- VI. Man Versus Ascetic 158
- For Freedom’s Sake 159
