The Magnolia - 1852 Author:Henry William Herbert 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: THE POET'S PEN. FROM THE GREEK OF MENKCRATES. I Was a useless reed ; no cluster hung My brow with purple grapes; no blossom flung The coronet of crim... more »son on my stem ; No apple blushed upon me, nor (the gem Of flowers) the violet strewed the yellow heath Around my feet; nor jessamine's sweet wreath Robed me in silver: day and night I pined On the lone moor, and shivered in the wind. At length a poet found me. From my side He smoothed the pale and withered leaves, and dyed My lips in Helicon. From that high hour, I Spoke ! my words were flame and living power! All the wide wonders of the earth were mine; Far as the surges roll, or sunbeam's shine ; Deep as earth's bosom hides the emerald ; High as the hills with thunder-clouds are palled; And there was sweetness round me, that the dew Had never wet so sweet on violets blue. To me the mighty sceptre was a wand; The roar of nations pealed at my command. To me the dungeon, sword, and scourge were vain, I smote the smiter, and I broke the chain; Or, towering o'er them all, without a plume I pierced the purple air, the tempest's gloom, Till blazed th" Olympian glories on my eye, Stars, temples, thrones, and gods — infinity. TUI1TESONNET. EVENING THE GLEANER. The shadows stalk along the western verge; The orient sleeps, already wrapped in night; The fitful fire-fly trims his tiny light, Ere yet the owl awakes her solemn dirge. The dusky night-hawk swoops from sky to sky; The whip-poor-will attunes his husky note ; O'er the still pool contending circles float, As whirling round the beetle-boatmen ply. Closed are the labors of the toil-worn day; The evening Sabbath reigns o'er all the scene; With dewy feet across the meadow green, The gentle g...« less