Rose Pogonias by: Robert Frost A saturated meadow, Sun-shaped and jewel-small, A circle scarcely wider Than the trees around were tall; Where winds were quite excluded, And the air was stifling sweet With the breath of many flowers-- A temple of the heat.
There we bowed us in the burning, As the sun's right worship is, To pick where none could miss them A thousand orchises; For though the grass was scattered, Yet ever second spear Seemed tipped with wings of color That tinged the atmosphere.
We raised a simple prayer Before we left the spot, That in the general mowing That place might be forgot; Or if not all so favored, Obtain such grace of hours That none should mow the grass there While so confused with flowers.
On Looking Up by Chance at the Constellations by: Robert Frost You'll wait a long, long time for anything much To happen in heaven beyond the floats of cloud And the Northern Lights that run like tingling nerves. The sun and moon get crossed, but they never touch, Nor strike out fire from each other nor crash out loud. The planets seem to interfere in their curves But nothing ever happens, no harm is done. We may as well go patiently on with our life, And look elsewhere than to stars and moon and sun For the shocks and changes we need to keep us sane. It is true the longest drought will end in rain, The longest peace in China will end in strife. Still it wouldn't reward the watcher to stay awake In hopes of seeing the calm of heaven break On his particular time and personal sight. That calm seems certainly safe to last to-night.
Waiting by: Robert Frost Afield at dusk
What things for dream there are when specter-like, Moving amond tall hay****s lightly piled, I enter alone upon the stubbled filed, From which the laborers' voices late have died, And in the antiphony of afterglow And rising full moon, sit me down Upon the full moon's side of the first hay**** And lose myself amid so many alike.
I dream upon the opposing lights of the hour, Preventing shadow until the moon prevail; I dream upon the nighthawks peopling heaven, Or plunging headlong with fierce twang afar; And on the bat's mute antics, who would seem Dimly to have made out my secret place, Only to lose it when he pirouettes, On the last swallow's sweep; and on the rasp In the abyss of odor and rustle at my back, That, silenced by my advent, finds once more, After an interval, his instrument, And tries once--twice--and thrice if I be there; And on the worn book of old-golden song I brought not here to read, it seems, but hold And freshen in this air of withering sweetness; But on the memor of one absent, most, For whom these lines when they shall greet her eye.
To Earthward by: Robert Frost Love at the lips was touch As sweet as I could bear; And once that seemed too much; I lived on air
That crossed me from sweet things, The flow of- was it musk From hidden grapevine springs Down hill at dusk?
I had the swirl and ache From sprays of honeysuckle That when they're gathered shake Dew on the knuckle.
I craved strong sweets, but those Seemed strong when I was young; The petal of the rose It was that stung.
Now no joy but lacks salt That is not dashed with pain And weariness and fault; I crave the stain
Of tears, the aftermark Of almost too much love, The sweet of bitter bark And burning clove.
When stiff and sore and scarred I take away my hand From leaning on it hard In grass and sand,
The hurt is not enough: I long for weight and strength To feel the earth as rough To all my length. From "New Hampshire", 1923 List all poems from "New Hampshire"
-- Edited by Amindlikemine at 22:36, 2007-02-17
__________________
"You're always a little disapointing in person because you can't be the edited essence of yourself." ~Mel Brooks~