Virginia advocate. [volume] (Charlottesville, Va.) 1827-1860, 1828-05-10
POETRY.
From the Fdsaiiy Visitor.
LORD BYRON


The .foiloming character of this great noe,
mr.. PoHockS" Course of Iime.'
" lie touched his harp, and nations heard sn,runced
AZ some vast river OF unfang source,
Rapid, exhauscss, deep, his numbers flowed
LAna Cpd new fountains in the human heart.
Where fancy haitod, weary in her flight
In other men, his fresh morning rose
ana scared untr"dden heights, and seemed home,
"here angels bashiul looked. Others though great,
Beneath their argument seemed struggling while
lie from above descending, stopped to touch
Ih" ioftcst thought; and proudly stopped though
IL scarce deserved his verse. With Natures rer
He seemed an old acquaintance, free To jest
AT will with all her glorious majesty.
lie laid his hand upon 'the Oceans NAME
Aud played familiar with his frozen locks;
Stood ON the Alps, stood the Apprentices,
And with the thunder talked, AZ friend tn fiend
And wo'e his garland Of the lightnnsswrg,
In sportvc twis,-tlic lightning's fiery wing,
Which, rs the footsteps &C the dreadful God
marching upon The storm i'll vengeance seemed
Then turned, and with the grasshopper, who sung
His evening song, beneath his feet, convcrscd
Suns, moons, and stars, and clouds his sisters were;
Rocks mountains, metcors seas and winds, and storms
His brotscrs-younger brothers. whom he scarce
As equals deemed. All passions of all men
The wild and tamc-the gentle severe;
All thoughts, all maxnis, sacred and profIno
All creeds all seasons Time, Eternity;
All that was hated, and all that dear;
All that was hoped, all that feared by man,
He tossed about, NJ tenpcsis witrred leaves
Then smiling, looked upon the wreck he made.
With terror now he froge the covering blood
And now dissolved the heart in tenderness:
Yet would not ,remble, would not weep himself
But back into his soul retired, alone,
Dark, sullcn, proud gazing contemptuousIy
ON hearts and passions PROSTATE his feet.
so Ocean from the plains, his had late
10 desolation swept, retired in pride,
Eaulting in the glory fhs might,
And seemed 10 mock the ruin lie had wrought
As some fierce comet of tremendous size
To which the stars did reverence, AZ it passed;
so he through learning, and through fancy took
His flight sublime and the loftcst top
vi fame's dread mountain sat not soied and worm
AS If he from the earth had abored up;
But As some bird of heavenly plumare fair
iielooked, which down from higher regions camo
And perched II there o sec what lay beneath
"Thc nations gazcd, and wondered much and praised
Critics before him fell in humble plight;
COMPOUNDED fell and made dcbasua signs
TO catch his and stretched swclled themselves
TO bursting nigh, to utter bulky words
OF admiration aud many too
Many that aimed 10 initiate his flight,
With weaker wing, uncarthy iu,tcring made,
And gave abundant sport after days.
" Great man the nations gazed, and wondered much
Ard praised and many called his evil good.
Wits wrote in favor OF his wickcdncss;
And kings to do him honor took delight.
Thus full of titles, flotcry, honor, FAME
Beyond desire, beyond ambition full
He dicd-ho died of what: OF wrechehnoss
Drank every cup of JOY, heard every trump
oi fame drank early, deeply drank: drank daughts
That common millions might have qucnched-ten died
oi Thirst, because there no more To drink
wOoed.
Fell from his arms, ahhorrtd his passions died
Died all but dreary solitary pride
And all his sympatlcs in being died.
As some Ill guided bark, well built and tail
Which angry tides on desert sh,rc
To mouder in the winds and rains of heaven
70 he, cut from the sympathies of life,
And cast ashore from pleasures boistcrous surge
n wandering, weary, worn, and wrechcd thing
n scorched, and desolae, and blasted soul
Al gloomy wilderness of dying thought
Repined, and eroaned and wiilcrcd from the earth.
His groanings filled the land his numbers filled;
And yet he seemed ashamed groan Poor man
Ashamed to ask, and yet he needed help.