Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE STUDENT; A FANTASIA, by RICHARD SOLOMON GEDNEY


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE STUDENT; A FANTASIA, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: Sat the student alone in his chamber
Last Line: The worship and praise of the sire!
Subject(s): Dreams; Poetry & Poets; Sleep; Youth; Nightmares


Sat the Student alone in his chamber,
When midnight o'ershadowed the earth;
Moonless the night was and starless,
Presaging of tempests the birth.
The wind round that lone house came wailing,
Death-laden from neighbouring marsh,
Like the sound of the banshee's moaning,
Out-pouring, grief-bearing, and harsh;
The dirge of the wild wind was mournful,
Out-pouring, grief-bearing, and harsh;
While a lead-coloured mist was arising
From out of that neighbouring marsh,
And the air was as corpse-cold and clammy
As the breath of a long-closed-up vault,
Exhaling an odour mephitic,
Like the air from a corpse-crowded vault;
And the plague-demon brooded o'er all.—
Sat the Student alone in his chamber,
His dark eyes were glowing like coal;
His forehead was furrowed with anguish,
For the iron had deep entered his soul.
The Student was yet but in boyhood,
If his age were accounted in years,
But a man he of dear-ripened wisdom
In the life of heart-feelings and fears;
For he had lived ages on ages
In the life of heart-feelings and fears,
And his heart was dead, withered, and grief-ploughed,
Though yet but a boy in his years.
His spirit was dark, yet rich-freighted
With the fathomless feeling of mind,
And all feared the darkness, but saw not
The limitless feeling of mind;
Thus lived he alone in the world.—
There came one with feelings as fickle
As the tree that e'er sways to the wind;
To her did that dark spirit open,
And she possessed heart, soul, and mind.
She loved him, yea, worshipped him truly
As her God, for a year and a day,
Till there came a baboon-fop to court her—
A musk-rat, in scarlet array.
He won—the big-whiskered, white-toothed ape!
He wore her weak heart on his sleeve;
And by whispers and dubious smilings,
And tongue-slips, he made men believe
That she to his will had demeaned her—
The villain, the liar, the slave!—
Her heart, with shame's agony broken,
Sank rapidly into the grave.

Sat the Student alone in his chamber,
His dark eyes were glowing like coal,
His forehead was furrowed with anguish,
For the iron had deep entered his soul;
He was reckless of Earth and of Heaven,
For his torn heart lay withered and dead,
And now from his seat he uprising,
Uplifted his stern brow, and said:—
"Thou, God, hast renouncèd me ever,—
"I renounce Thee for good and for aye;
"Thou hast thwarted my every endeavour,
"Now to Hell for a helper I fly.
"Thou hast broken each earnest endeavour,
"And to Hell for a helper I fly.
"Now from good to ill I turn,
"Dark despair my heart does burn,
"To seek forgiveness now I spurn,—
"Evil, be thou my good!
"Ho! king Eblis, I and night
"Await thy coming; by thy might
"All good genii banish quite.
"Thou, who through pride withstood
"The great Messiah, and to thy boast,
"When hurled from heaven, brought of its host
"A third with thee as doomed and lost,
"I summon thee!
"Reviled and taunted by the world,
"My soul, that once its wings unfurled
"With highest hope, now downward hurled,
"Thus to thy gates is driven.
"No God in Heaven now I see,
"There is no Saviour now for me;
"For misery on misery
"Dim all my hopes of Heaven!
"Lucifer, man's fatal star,
"Source of all the ills that are,
"Prince of Sin and Death;
"Monarch of the Realms of Darkness,
"Thunder-cloud full-fraught with evil,
"Hell's great master-spirit, Devil!
"I call thee—Come!"
O'er the stern heart there now came a warning,
Like the shadow of something unseen,
Which made him look round and acknowledge
The presence of Something unseen!
But soon his proud spirit, rebellious,
Cast off the awe that enthralled him,
And with voice uplifted and haughty,
He spoke to the Thing that appalled him:—
"Reveal thyself, be thou of good or evil;
"By voice or presence show me what thou art."
A strain of mournful music, yet melodious,
Seeming to penetrate his inmost heart,
A prayer of angels heavenward
Came thrilling through the air,—
Sweet it was and evanescent,
As sweet things alway are;
A voice there came, lowly and mournful,
Like the sighing of summer wind,—
A voice there came, sweet, still, and sorrowing,
Like the plaint of the soft summer wind:—
"Heaven weeps for thee, sinner!"—and quickly
Was melted that icicle soul!
The proud spirit, softened, bent humbly,
And tears quenched his eyes' fiery roll;
His dark brow grew ashen and pale,
His quivering lip turned to Heaven,—
There was joy in the Courts of the Angels,
Repented, the sin was forgiven!

Over the land the dawning
Slowly and solemnly broke,
And with the rays of morning
The dreaming poet awoke;
And still through his heart was ringing
The hymn of a heavenly choir,
Bearing praise on its bright wings to heaven
Of the mercy and love of the Sire!
Bearing up to the bright gates of Heaven
The worship and praise of the Sire!





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