American Sonnets Author:Thomas Wentworth Higginson Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: AT ST. OSWALD'S. Within the church I knelt, where many a year Wordsworth had worshipped, while his musing eye Wandered o'er mountain, fell, and scaur, and ... more » That rimmed the silver circle of Grasmere, Whose crystal held an under-world as clear As that which girt it round ; and questioned The place was sacred for textit{his lifted sigh, More than the humble dalesman's kneeling near.. Strange spell of Genins ! ? that can melt the To reverence tenderer than o'er it falls Beneath the marvellous heavens which God hath made, And sway it with such human-sweet control That holier henceforth seem these simple walls, Because within them once a poet prayed ! textit{Margaret Junkin Preeton. FLOOD-TIDE. To every artist, howsoe'er his thought Unfolds itself before the eyes of men, ? Whether through sculptor's chisel, poet's pen, Or painter's wondrons brush, ? there comes, full fraught With instant revelation, lightning-wrought, A moment of supremest heart-swell, when The mind leaps to the tidal crest, and then Sweeps on triumphant to the harbor sought. Wait, eager spirit, till the topping waves Shall roll their gathering strength in one, and lift From out the swamping trough thy galleon free ; Mount with the whirl, command the rush that raves A maelstrom round ; then proudly shoreward drift, Rich-freighted as an Indian argosy. textit{Margaret Junkin Preslon. DAFFODILS. Fathered by March, the daffodils are here. First, all the air grew keen with yesterday, And once a thrush from out some hollow gray On a field's edge, where whiteuing stalks made cheer, Fluted the last unto the budding year ; Now, that the wind lets loose from orchard spray Plum bloom and peach bloom down the dripping way, Their punctual gold through...« less