Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1841-01-01
TIE CLOSE OF THE YEAR.
ny croscr ID. rReNrIcr.

GoSK gone for ever.-Lire rushing wave,
Another year has burst upon the shore
~ ~ e.rhly eeisxlaad ils last low tones,
Arc dyiog 10 an echo.
The gay Spring
With It's young charms has has sooe-sone with its leave
Its atmosphere Of rosss-its white clouds
numbering like seraphs In the air-its birds
Telling their loves IN music-and It's streams
Lcaping and shouting ffoui the up piled rocks,
Aud sumner, with ils dsws ana showers, has gone
Its rainbows glowing on the distant cloud,
Like spirits OF the storu--its peaceful lakes
Smiling In their sweet sleep, as IL their dreams
Were Of the opening flowers, aud budding trees,
And oserhangins sky-and its bright insis
Resting upon tue Irounain tops, as crowns
Upon the neads OF giants autumn, too,
Has gone with alh deeper glories-gonc
With ITS green hills, like affairs OF the worlI
Lifting their nch irui-oiierings TO their God
scoid winds sraYtus mid the forest aises
To wake their thousand wind .harps--its serene
And holy sunsets hanging DER the west,
Lake banners from the bstcmenls OF neavcn--
And It's sull evenings, when the moonlight sea
Was ever thtobbing, like the living heart
vi the great Universe. Ay-iheSc
But sounds and visions OF the Past-lheir dcep,
wln beauty mas departed from the earth,
And they ate gather cd to the embrace of Death
Their solemn herald to Eternity.
Nor have they gone alone. High human hearts
VI Passion have gone with them The fresh dust
isehl on many breast that burned erewhile
Win fires that seemed immortal Joys, that leaped
Like angels nom the heart, and wandered free,
In Lilies young morn, TO look upon the ho~e rs,
The poetry Of Nature, aud TO list
Upon the nighi-air have been stricken down "
In silence % q dust Exliltant IIone
That royed for ever on Inc huov mi vim.
Like the bright starry brdof Paradlsc
And chanted to the ever listening heart
Or scared into the openng skv nn,iI
Nights burning gems seemed ieweed on her brow
Within me yoiceless scpuIchre hnJIcv.
That kneK at Passions hottest shrine and Tazed
Whose purity aud distance make il dear
Aud dreamed OF ecstacies until.nis soul
Seemed but n lyrc thai wa ened in the gl.nra
OF the beloved one-he too ha sone
To mis- eternal resting place And where
Is stern Ambition-be vho mady rrasned
At Glory's ieetnS phanora-he who souvht
His fame upon the bafile field and Ions
To make his throne a pyramid OF bones
Amid a sea of booul lie too has gone
His stormy voice il mute-his mighty arm
Is nerycless on lis clod-his yery name
Is but a meteor OF The uisht of wears
Whose CLEANS dashed Out a moment DER the s,r,b
Aud faded into uothnrness. The dream ''
OF high de Otion-Beauty's bright arIay-
Mud LIES deep idol meG,ories-all ha We pass.d
Iixethe cloud. hadows on a starlight stream
Or strain OF sonest music when tie winds
sumbering the billew
Yet why muse
Upon the past with sorowl Though the wear
Has gone TO bl nd with the iOus tide
OT old Eternity, and borne along
Upon its heaying breast a thousand wrecks
OF glory and OF beauty-yet, why mourn
Tnat such Is destinyl Another year
succeedesi 10 the pas-in their bright round
Tue seasons come and go-the same blue arch
That hath hung Ger us will hang DER yet
The same pure Stars that We have loved to.Sateh