AMONG THE POETS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11685, 29 April 1916, Page 8

AMONG THE POETS.

PBACE. 0 Peace! And dost thou with presencS bless The duellings of this war-surrounded isle; Soothing -with placid brow our late distress, Making the triple kingdom brightly smile? ' Joyful I" hail thy presence; and I hail The sweet companions that await on Thee; Complete my joy—let not ray first wish fail. Let the sweet mountain nymph thy favourite he. With England's happiness proclaim Europe's Liberty.— 0 Europe! Let not sceptred tyrants see I That thou must shelter in thy'former I state; Keep thy chains burst, and boldlv Bay thorn art free; Give thy kings lair—leave not uncurbed' the jgrea-t; So with the horrors past thou'lt win thy happier fate. —John Keats. V THE CHOICE. A voice came down from regions far away. Solemn and stern, jet most divinely sweet. "■Choose thou, O soul, the- pathway for thy feet ."" • ' "When, thou art done with Earth's bewildering day! The high gods speak through me. They bid me say When thou no more .shaft ■hear life's surges beat Upon the shores of time, nor trake to greet The glorious morn, high noon, nor twilight grey,

They give thee leave to choose thv destiny. . " Wilt lire again 'in some new sphere? or go Through the strange paths the living may not know To utter nothingness? Yet hear thou me Ere thou decidest, for the gods decree Who lives .immortally shaU never sow In the new 6oil the" seed of earthly woe, Of earthly love, or earthly memory." And thus I answered':—" Gire me leave to die Once and forever, ye who- ne'er-have known The might of human love, nor shared its throne, "' Tasted its bread and -wine,, nor' lifted Hgh Its royal banners to the bending sky! Too sweet, too strong Earth's tender lores have grown : ' ■' , ■ Rather .than life whence their dear ghosts have flown, Oye who are immortal; let me die!" ) —J. C. R. Dorr. *•' THE DAYS THAT ARE TO BE. These things 6hall be! a loftier .Tac© than e'er the world has known 6hall rise ""..■'■ With name of freedom in their soujs, v and light of science in their; eyes. They shall be gentle, brave and strong, to spill no drop of blood, but ;dare All that may plant, man's lordship firm on earth, and fire, and sea- and air. ■■ ■. Nation with nation, land Trith land»"unharmed shall live as comrades |re>; In every heart and brain shall tbrob the pulse of one fraternity."New arts shall bloom of loftier mold and ■ mightier music thrill the skies, . And every life shall be a song, vhen *ll the earth is paradise. TheSe u t!"? g&—thejr are no dreamsshall be, for happier men when- : w« are gone. - • ■. These golden days for them shall daw* . transcending aught we, gaae upon. A. Symonds. . NIGHT AND WANING DAY. The Night awakes, and in her rakjijg U:Qt l^ e Day, that, sinking Doth gently speak her sister: "Give them rest! . I fed them; gave them arm to wing the sword; f Pled with them to the fields of rip'ninegrain ; * .;.■*? Did leap within the culprit's pri^qaAnd taught the infant larks' to sine their lay. . .". Softly, I followed women'to the grave Of their dear loved', who entered heavenly halls; Guiding, I led the lambkin back tc fold; And withered streams, and dried the sheaves to gold."

"Oh Day I I held the dear one deep, in And sent them dreams, to make more sure the wav, For Angels' visits, to the cots of nier All spent with Ml and doubt, and dread of day; And gave to women-,'folding in their arms Their new-horn babes, i** troth—that Truth, was all ; Then, hearing far the ca"ft Keaiiea Oossed. With' my dear moon, I lit the windblown sea, And sent the stars to guide them m their barks, And bind their souls to knowledge of the where Of things, not seen or near; and then the dew I scattered' far and wide, oe'r field and plain: And halting on the stones of cities' streets. For sin I saw—l held' there fast the gloom!' —Cora V.- Bremer, in the " Fra." • • DEIRDRE. Do not let any woman read this verse; It is for men, and after them their sons And their sons' sons. The times comes when our hearts sink utterly; When we remember Deirdre and' her tale, And that her lips are dust. Once she did tread the earth; men took her hand; They looked into her eyes and said their say, And she replied to them. More than a thousand* years it is since she Was beautiful: she trad the waving grass; fc She saw the clouds. A thousand years 1 The grass is stil7 the same, The clouds as lovely as they were that time When Deirdre '.vas alive. But there has never been a wouiug. born Who was so beautiful, not one sobeafc Of all the women born. Let all men go apart and mourn t»gother; No man can ever love her; not a man" Can ever be her lover. No man ran bend before her: no man say What could one say to her? There are no words That one could say to her! Now she is but a story that is told Beside the fire! No man can ever bo \ The friend' of that poor queen. —James Stephens, in " Soup froi« t*-« , Clay.."