The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1817-06-18
POETRY.
IL DARKNESS.
NJ Lord pYaos.


I HAD dream, which was not all dream.
The bright sun estnguishd, and the stars
md wander dArking in the eternal space,
Hayiess and pathless and the icy earth
Swung Blind ard biackening in the moopless air
Morn came & went and came and brought no day;
And men forgot their passions in the dread
Vf this their desoIatioa and all hearts
Were child into selfish prayer for light;
And they did live by witch fires and the thrones,
che palaces Of crowned kngs--the huts,
The batitations Of all things which dwell,
We're burnt for bcscons cities were consum'd,
And men were gather'd round their blazing homes
To look once more into each others face
Happy were those who dve.t within the eye
OF he volcanoes, and their mountain torch.
n fearful hope was all the world contan'd
Forests were set on fire but hour by hour
They fci and faded and the cracking trunks
Extnguisi'd with crash and all was black.
The crows Of men BY the desparing light,
Wore An unearthly aspect, ss by TITS
The flashes fell upon Them. Some lay down
And hid their eyes and wept and some did rest
Their chjns upon their cnchd hands, and snlird
and others hurried to and fro, and fed
TheR funeral piles with fuel. and lookd UP
With mad disquie,ude on the dull sky.
Tile pail Of past world and then sgain
With curses cast them down upon the dust.
And Ag,.ssh'd their teeth and how'd. The wild
birds shrek'd,
AhdterriGcd did auuer on the ground
and slap their useless wings The widest erntes
And twiu'd themselves among the multitude,
sliissing but stin gess, they were slain for food
And war, which Tor moment was no more.
nd glut himself again q meal was bought
with blood and each safe sulleniy apart.
.Corging himself In gloom. no love was lett;
slI earth was but ore thought and thatw was death,
Immediate and nglorions, and the pang
1ffamne fed upon all entrsils. Men ~
Died and their bones were tonbless A. their flesh
'fhc meagre by the messre were devour'd ~ Il
g.. n .ls..~ seAes all Va nnR
~ nd he vas faithful to corsc and kept ri5
rrhs beasts and birds and iarnish'd men at bay, :
1illhrngcr cung them or the dropping dead -
Lur'd their lAnk Jaws, himself sought out no food
lnut. With pitcous and perpetual moan,
And quick desoate cry, licking the hand
which answered not with caress--h he died.
The crowd was famish'd by degrees but two
Of an enormous city did survive,
And they we're enemies, they met beside
The dying ombers Of an altar place,
Where had been heapd mass OF holy things
For an unholy usage, they raid up,
And, shiverng, scraP'd With their cold skeleton
0tsas hanGs
The feeble ashes and their feeble breath
2lew for little life, and made fame
Which was mockery; then they lifted up
Their eyes a. il grew lighter, and oehcid
Bach Others aspcct--saw, and shriekd and died
Even Of thoir mutual hideousness they died,
cnknowng who he was upon whose brow
Famine had written fend The world was void 4;
The populous and the powerful was lamp
3easoniess, herbless, treeless, mancss. hteiess--
q A lump of dcath--a chaos Of hard clny.
The rivers, lakes and ocean all stood still.
4 And nothing stirr'd within their silent depths.
= Ships ssiorless, lay rotting on The sea,
And tneir asts fell down piecemea as they droppd,
They slept on the abyss whhou, surge:
The waves were dead the tides were in their grave
The noon, their mistress, had cxpir'd beiore'
The winds were wither'd in the stagnant air,
And the clouds persh'd; Darkness had no need
- \ r. a.. - o st.~ s.nsy