Thus truth was multiplied on truth, the world
Like one great garden show'd,
And thro' the wreaths of floating dark upcurl'd, Rare sunrise flow'd.
And Freedom rear'd in that august sunrise Her beautiful bold brow,
When rites and forms before his burning eyes Melted like snow.
There was no blood upon her maiden robes Sunn'd by those orient skies;
But round about the circles of the globes Of her keen eyes
And in her raiment's hem was traced in flame WISDOM, a name to shake
All evil dreams of power a sacred name. And when she spake,
Her words did gather thunder as they ran, And as the lightning to the thunder Which follows it, riving the spirit of man, Making earth wonder,
So was their meaning to her words. No sword Of wrath her right arm whirl'd,
But one poor poet's scroll, and with his word She shook the world.
ON either side the river lie
Long fields of barley and of rye,
That clothe the wold and meet the sky;
And thro' the field the road runs by
To many-tower'd Camelot :
And up and down the people go, Gazing where the lilies blow Round an island there below, The island of Shalott.
Willows whiten, aspens quiver, Little breezes dusk and shiver Thro' the wave that runs forever By the island in the river
Flowing down to Camelot.
Four gray walls, and four gray towers, Overlook a space of flowers, And the silent isle imbowers The Lady of Shalott.
By the margin, willow-veil'd, Slide the heavy barges trail'd By slow horses; and unhail'd The shallop flitteth silken-sail'd
Skimming down to Camelot : But who hath seen her wave her hand? Or at the casement seen her stand? Or is she known in all the land,
The Lady of Shalott?
Only reapers, reaping early In among the bearded barley, Hear a song that echoes cheerly From the river winding clearly,
Down to tower'd Camelot : And by the moon the reaper weary, Piling sheaves in uplands airy, Listening, whispers, "T is the fairy Lady of Shalott.'
Sometimes a troop of damsels glad, An abbot on an ambling pad, Sometimes a curly shepherd-lad, Or long-hair'd page in crimson clad, Goes by to tower'd Camelot;
And sometimes thro' the mirror blue The knights come riding two and two : She hath no loyal knight and true, The Lady of Shalott.
But in her web she still delights To weave the mirror's magic sights,
For often thro' the silent nights A funeral, with plumes and lights
And music, went to Camelot : Or when the moon was overhead, Came two young lovers lately wed; 'I am half-sick of shadows,' said The Lady of Shalott.
A BOW-SHOT from her bower-eaves, He rode between the barley-sheaves; The sun came dazzling thro' the leaves, And flamed upon the brazen greaves Of bold Sir Lancelot.
A red-cross knight forever kneel'd To a lady in his shield,
That sparkled on the yellow field, Beside remote Shalott.
The gemmy bridle glitter'd free, Like to some branch of stars we see Hung in the golden Galaxy.
The bridle bells rang merrily
As he rode down to Camelot;
And from his blazon'd baldric slung A mighty silver bugle hung, And as he rode his armor rung, Beside remote Shalott.
All in the blue unclouded weather Thick-jewell'd shone the saddle-leather, The helmet and the helmet-feather Burn'd like one burning flame together,
As he rode down to Camelot ;
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