Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, ANTICHRIST, by CHARLES WILLIAMS


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

ANTICHRIST, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: Why seems your cheek so pale, young man
Last Line: In heaven the gates of hell!'
Subject(s): Hell; Malice; Sin


WHY seems your cheek so pale, young man,
Why look your eyes so wild,
Within these walks of happy Love,
So still and undefiled?

Fear you the Adversary here
Who with us squires will fight?
'Tis Love, 'tis Love, that tries us so
To prove us men of might.

Or have you in some secret coign
With your Accuser met?
Ah, then those eyes were not so fierce,
But with repentance wet.

But save these two is none herein
To shatter up the soul,
And these are friends of happy Love
Who ruin to make whole.

'The Adversary have I fought;
The Accuser have I heard,
But, though I mourned thereat and wept,
I fled not for his word.

'O one I met more dark than these
In the most holy place;
His height was as the height of Love,
His face was as Love's face.

'But Malice in his twisted look
With Cunning did conspire;
His words were Torment audible,
His touch was frost and fire.

'Within these warm and narrow walks
He leant a longing ear
The weeping of all broken hearts
And lonely souls to hear.

'Behind him came his company,
And many a wicked joy
From head to head went flitting past
On mischievous employ.

'Infernal Pleasures round them ran,
Provoking every mind;
And close behind them Madness came,
But O too far behind!

'There many a troth-plight man and maid,
Exchanging agony,
Smiled each to see the other pale;
And in their van went he.

'Meseemed in heaven when golden lamps
Love's birthday did adorn,
An evil star winked forth in hell
And 'neath it he was born,

'To pace for aye about the world,
Love's pair and deathly twin;
Or if not so, it was Love's self
Transfigured all to sin.

'Enamoured Lust and honest Hate
Are lesser powers than he,
His very mask within the world
Is shameful cruelty.

'I looked upon my lady's face
And saw new motions rise;
Her mouth was as a serpent's mouth,
And venomous her eyes.

'My mind possessed me with delight
To wrack her lovely head
With slow device of subtle pain,—
But suddenly we fled.

'We saw, we turned, we fled away,
And ask no more of God
Than now that either comes no more
Where the other's foot hath trod.

'For if again we chance to meet
Within this sacred grove,
'Tis he, that high malicious prince,
Who shall between us move.

'Farewell, farewell, you happy squires!
You ladies all, farewell!
Love grant that you may never find
In heaven the gates of hell!'





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