The Holy Child a Poem in Four Cantos Author:Stephen Jenner 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: ODE TO SILENCE. STROPHE. I. Silence ! how beautiful art thou ! Enthroned upon the pillared sky, Thy robe the blue immensity, Spangled with living ge... more »ms that glow, And rain still radiance, softly bright, O'er the weird empire of the Night. How witching is thy power, In evening's peaceful hour, What time the garish Day Is wont to hie away, Veiled in Twilight! Silence ! how beautiful art thou ! When seated on thy throne sublime, Far raised above the din of Time, Thine influence spreads o'er all below. Who thrills not with deep dread delight, In the still solemn noon of Night, When hushed is all around, And not e'en Echo's sound Wakes Nature from her dream, As sleeping she doth seem, Curtained by thee! Silence ! how beautiful art thou ! O ! what a sea of stillness reigns, Throughout Heav'n's vast star-spangled plains, Whose fields, all mute, the planets plough ! No tumult stirs—no senseless noise, No sound Confusion's self employs : Even the shooting star, Darting away afar, Like angel in his might' Upon his mission's flight, All stilly speeds! Silence ! how beautiful art thou ! Gazing from heaven so tranquilly, With thoughtful many-twinkling eye, On all who at thy footstool bow. Thou aw'st the soul of Contemplation, Into deep wistful adoration Of the Great Dread Unknown, Upon whose world-built throne Thou sittest as a Queen, And garbed has ever been In mystery. Silence ! how beautiful art thou ! Creation owns thy stillful sway ; Its varied works thy law obey ; And Nature garlands her fair brow With rainbow-tinted wreaths of flowers, In quiet wove in sunlight hours; While all her robe of green Is wrought unheard, unseen : Man gives Confusion birth ; Uproar is of the Earth ; Silen...« less