Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, MAY MORNING, by MARCUS S. C. RICKARDS


Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

MAY MORNING, by                    
First Line: One flashed upon her dreaming
Last Line: His promise to recall.
Subject(s): Hearts; Heaven; Life; Love; May (month); Paradise


ONE flashed upon her dreaming
As died an April moon,
And promised, ere the beaming
Of May's first lovely noon,
Such vital scenes to show her,
Above, around, below her,
As scanned, should overflow her
Sad heart with Heaven's best boon.

"I mark the doubts that vex thee,"
So spake the seraph tongue,
"For rival faiths perplex thee,
Each eloquently sung.
Unseen before thee gliding,
Do thou obey my guiding,
Thine only the deciding,
Away! while Dawn is young."

They sought at Morn's faint flushing
The hoary Oxford tower,
And heard the strains up-gushing
To hallow May's prime hour,
In music pure ascending
As tho' young spirits blending
In unity were lending
To Heaven their freshest power.

Then down a vista glancing,
They spied a village green,
Where merry girls were dancing
Around a sceptred queen,
Crowned as with flowers Elysian,
Born of Youth's fairest vision,
Yet in scarce veiled derision
Of the illusive scene.

"See imaged here both courses,"
He cried, "the twain that tempt
With silent, subtle forces;
Of each thy soul has dreamt --
Now, like those young hearts quiring,
To Heavenly Joy aspiring;
Now throned for eyes admiring,
And mirth that breeds contempt."

"But hence!" and on they wandered
To haunts of sin and shame,
Where pensive spirits pondered
With lofty look and aim.
Fair women with bright graces,
Brave men with angel faces,
Scorned the smooth World's embraces
Vile truants to reclaim:

Next to dull homes where Beauty
Toils on unprized, unknown,
Heedful of naught but Duty,
Stamped as her very own --
To shops and desks where tender
And bright charms lose their splendour
That Truth and Love may render
Full tale when all is shown.

And then to Halls where Fashion
Reclined in gilded state --
Sweet arbours where soft Passion
Would fain intoxicate --
Red fields where laurelled glory
Clangs forth a martial story --
Bright courts where brows ungory
Fame's peaceful bays await --

Sweet fields where rural pleasure
Wooes every shifting mood --
Groves sacred to the leisure
Of hearts that muse and brood.
And then they sought calm Ocean,
Whose song inspired the notion
Of deep true glad devotion
To overarching Good.

"Thy choice?" he asked. All glistened,
Life sparkled, Earth seemed dear;
When softly, while she listened,
A cadence smote her ear,
A chime whose tender pealing
O'er tranquil Ocean stealing
Seemed, to impassioned feeling,
To sound a summons clear.

"Scorn thou, in Life's fair hey-day,
Vain sloth and hollow glee!
Hear now on this sweet May-day
My welcome, "Follow Me!"
Both echo it, who slighted
All that had else delighted,
Apostles Mine, united
In saintly Pedigree."

The Angel left her, lending
Full audience to the call --
Her pliant spirit bending
A captive in sure thrall --
Grace, Love and Peace surrounding,
Divine content abounding,
The hour meridian sounding,
His Promise to recall.





Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!


Other Poems of Interest...
Home: PoetryExplorer.net