A man he was to all the country dear, 50 And passing* rich with forty pounds a year; Remote from towns he ran his godly race, * Passing, exceedingly. Forty pounds a Nor e'er had changed, nor wished to change, his year was the acplace. Unskilful he to fawn,* or seek for power, tual income of the Rev. Charles Goldsmith, the poet's father. Remote, at a distance, removed. Fawn, to court favour, to flatter. Far other, far By doctrines fashioned to the varying hour; pain. The long-remembered beggar was his guest, were won! Pleased with his guests, the good man learned to And quite forgot their vices, in their woe; Careless their merits or their faults to scan,' 70 His pity gave, ere charity began. * Thus to relieve the wretched was his pride, * He watched and wept, he prayed and felt for all : 75 And, as a bird each fond endearment tries * To tempt her new-fledged offspring to the skies, 85 And his last faltering accents whispered praise. * Bent, inclined. Spendthrift, one who wastes his Wile, a sly trick. Even children followed with endearing wile,* smile: His ready smile a parent's warmth expressed, To them his heart, his love, his griefs were given, storm; Though round its breast the rolling clouds are Eternal* sunshine settles on its head. Beside yon* straggling * fence that skirts the glee With blossomed furze* unprofitably gay, * 95 100 105 ΠΙΟ 115 For e'en though vanquished,* he could argue still; 120 sound Amazed the gazing rustics ranged around: 125 YOUTH AND AGE.-Coleridge. SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE (1772-1834) was the son of a Devonshire clergyman, and was educated at Christ's Hospital and Cambridge. He was strongly influenced in his poetry by his philosophical studies, and had an intellect of extraordinary range. Chief poems: Genevieve, The Ancient Mariner, Christabel, and Odes. 5 YOUTH, a breeze 'mid blossoms straying, When I was young! How lightly then it flashed along :- 15 That fear no spite of wind or tide! 20 Nought cared this body for wind or weather, Flowers are lovely; Love is flower-like; Ere I was old! Ere I was old? Ah, woful Ere, 25 0 Youth! for years so many and sweet, EDGAR ALLAN POE (1811-1849) was an American poet, and possessed of considerable originality. He was the son of a strolling player, on whose death he was adopted by Mr. Allan, a rich merchant. He died from the effects of intemperance and dissipation. Sledge, a carriage made for sliding upon snow. HEAR the sledges * with the bells *- The bells, when heard What a world of merriment* their melody foretells! in the frosty air, have a merry tinkling sound. Merriment, rejoicing. Crystalline, clear; sparkling like crystal. Runic rhyme, a rhyme How they tinkle, tinkle, tinkle, In a sort of Runic rhyme,* peculiar to the lan- To the tintinnabulation * that so musically wells guage of the ancient northern nations. Tintinnabulation, tinkling. From the bells, bells, bells, bells, Bells, bells, bells, From the jingling and the tinkling of the bells. Hear the mellow wedding bells, Golden bells! 5 IO 15 Harmony, musical What a world of happiness their harmony* foretells! concord. Through the balmy air of night How they ring out their delight! What a liquid ditty * floats To the turtle-dove that listens, while she gloats On the moon! Oh, from out the sounding cells, What a gush of euphony* voluminously * wells! 25 30 How it swells! How it dwells On the Future! how it tells Of the rapture * that impels Of the bells, bells, bells, bells, 35 To the rhyming and the chiming of the bells! In a clamorous* appealing to the mercy of the fire, 45 In a mad expostulation* with the deaf and frantic * fire, 50 55 60 65 Leaping higher, higher, higher, By the side of the pale-faced moon. What a tale their terror tells Of Despair! How they clang, and clash, and roar !* What a horror they outpour On the bosom of the palpitating* air! Yet the ear it fully knows, By the twanging And the clanging, How the danger ebbs and flows; Yet the ear distinctly tells, In the jangling, And the wrangling, How the danger sinks and swells By the sinking or the swelling in the anger of the bells Of the bells, Of the bells, bells, bells, bells, Bells, bells, bells, Clamorous, noisy. Expostulation, re monstrance, Frantic, furious. Palpitating, beating quickly, throbbing. Clangour, clashing In the clamour and the clangour* of the bells! together." |