Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, LINES WRITTEN ON THE BANKS OF EDEN, NEAR KIRKBY STEPHEN, by ISABELLA LICKBARROW


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

LINES WRITTEN ON THE BANKS OF EDEN, NEAR KIRKBY STEPHEN, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: From distant moor-land heights descending
Last Line: Eden, to thy dark stream farewell!
Subject(s): Calm; Eden (river), Great Britain; Rivers; Placid; Undisturbed; Tranquility


From distant moor-land heights descending,
How swiftly rolls this stream away!
Say, whither, Eden, art thou hasting?
Stay, impetuous river, stay,

And hear a rural muse address thee,
Who thy steep woody banks along,
By these rude scenes once more awaken'd,
Pours again th' unstudied song.

From other plains afar, a wand'rer,
I thy loud sounding stream have sought,
Beside thy darkly rolling waters,
T' indulge the pensive dreams of thought.

Here, when the full-orb'd moon ascending
Sheds her radiant light serene,
And round a softer day diffuses
O'er this wild and rugged scene;

Here would I love unseen to ramble
Around this rocky lone recess,
Form'd by the windings of the river,
A sweet sequester'd wilderness;

Amid the roar of dashing waters,
That sweep on every side around,
Mingled with the hollow murmurs
Of the deep current under ground.

Sweet as the voice of sweetest music
Is the wild torrent's roar to me;
The foam upon its broken surface,
'Mid pointed crags, I love to see.

But here I may no longer listen
This rapid current, nor survey
Its waves down shelving rocks swift tumbling;
For ev'ning calls my steps away.

Through many a lovely vale meand'ring,
Of thee shall other poets tell;
I may perhaps no more behold thee,
Eden, to thy dark stream farewell!





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