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Saturday, June 9, 2012

FROM THE LOTOS-EATERS BY ALFRED, LORD TENNYSON(1809-1892)

                                           "Courage!" he said, and pointed toward the land,
                                             This mounting wave will roll us shoreward soon." 
                                                   In the afternoon  they came upto a land
                                                     In which it seemed always afternoon.
                                                 All round the coast the languid air did swoon,
                                                 Breathing like one that hath a weary dream,
                                                  Full-faced above the valley stood the moon;
                                             And, like a downward smoke, the slender stream
                                             Along the cliff to fall and pause and fall did seem.


                                             A land of streams! some, like a downward smoke,
                                                  Slow dropping veils of thinnest lawn, did go;
                                           And some through  wavering lights and shadows broke,
                                                   Rolling a slumbrous sheet of foam below.
                                                   They saw the gleaming river seaward flow
                                                From the inner land; far off, three mountaintops,
                                                    Three silent pinnacles of aged snow,
                                              Stood sunset-flush'd;  and, dew'd with showery drops,
                                             Up-clomb the shadowy pine  above the woven copse.


                                                     The charmed sunset linger'd low adown
                                              In the red West: through mountain clefts a dale
                                                    Was seen far inland, and the yellow down
                                               Border'd with palm, and  many a winding vale
                                                     And meadow, set with slender galingale;
                                               A land where all things always seem'd the same!
                                                     And round about the keelwith faces pale,
                                                      Dark faces pale against that rosy flame,
                                                 The mild-eyed melancholy Lotos-eaters came.


                                                   Branches they bore  of that  enchanted stem,
                                                 Laden with flower and fruit where of they gave
                                                       To each, but  whose did receive of them
                                                    And taste, to him the gushing of the wave
                                                    Far far away did seem to mourn and rave  
                                                     On alien shores; and if his fellow spake,
                                                  His voice was thin, as voices  from the grave;
                                                     And deep asleep he seem'd, yet all awake,
                                                And music in his ears his beating heart did make.


                                                     They sat them down upon the yellow sand,
                                                     Between the sun and moon upon the shore;
                                                     And sweet it was to dream of Fatherland,
                                                     Of child, and wife, and slave; but evermore
                                                     Most weary seem'd the sea, weary the oar,
                                                     Weary the wandering fields of barren foam,
                                                     Then someone said, "We'll return no more";
                                                     And all at once they sang, "our island home
                                                     Is far beyond the wave; we'll no longer roam.  


                                                    
                                                      









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