THE MERMAID. WHO would be A mermaid fair, Singing alone, Under the sea, In a golden curl With a comb of pearl, I would be a mermaid fair; I would sing to myself the whole of the day; From under my starry sea-bud crown Low adown and around, And I should look like a fountain of gold With a shrill inner sound, Over the throne In the midst of the hall; Till that great sea-snake under the sea Round the hall where I sate, and look in at the gate And all the mermen under the sea Would feel their immortality Die in their hearts for the love of me. But at night I would wander away, away, I would fling on each side my low-flowing locks, And lightly vault from the throne and play With the mermen in and out of the rocks; We would run to and fro, and hide and seek, On the broad sea-wolds i' the crimson shells, Whose silvery spikes are nighest the sea. But if any came near I would call, and shriek, And adown the steep like a wave I would leap From the diamond-ledges that jut from the dells; For I would not be kiss'd by all who would list, Of the bold merry mermen under the sea; They would sue me, and woo me, and flatter me, In the purple twilights under the sea; But the king of them all would carry me, Woo me, and win me, and marry me, In the branching jaspers under the sea; Then all the dry pied things that be And if I should carol aloud, from aloft All things that are forked, and horned, and soft Would lean out from the hollow sphere of the sea, All looking down for the love of me. SONNET TO J. M. K. My hope and heart is with thee-thou wilt be To scare church-harpies from the master's feast; Arrows of lightnings. I will stand and mark. |