Collected Poems of Alfred Noyes - Vol II: Drake - The Enchanted Island - New Poems: 2 Book

COLLECTED POEMS BY ALFRED NOYES VOL. II. DRAKE THE ENCHANTED ISLAND NEW POEMS 1910. CONTENTS OF VOL. II. . ... . . . , MIST IN THE VALLEY . . . . A SONG OF THE PLOUGH . . PAGE . . . 2O2 . . . 2o6 , THE BANNER RANK AND FILE . . . . . . . . ... . . 2CX 2IO THE SKY-LARK CAGED . . . . . 2l6 THE LOVERS FLIGHT . . . 2l8 THE ROCK POOL . . . . . 222 THE ISLAND HAWK. . . . .. . 226 THE ADMIRALS GHOST . . . . .232 EDINBURGH....... 236 IN A RAILWAY CARRIAGE..... .... 237 AN EAST-END COFFEE-STALL 239 RED OF THE DAWN . . . . .24 THE DREAM-CHILDS INVITATION.... 244 THE TRAMP TRANSFIGURED .... CAROL...... 247 ON THE DOWNS . . ... . . 262 A MAY-DAY ..... 264 . . . .265 A DEVONSHIRE DITTY 268 BACCHUS AND THE PIRATES .... - THE CALL OF THE SPRING . 27D I vi CONTENTS. THE NEWSPAPER BOY . . THE TWO WORLDS . . . GORSE ... . . 279 28 1 283 FOR THE EIGHTIETH BIRTHDAY OF GEORGE MEREDITH . 285 IN MEMORY OF SWINBURNE .... 286 ON THE DEATH OF FRANCIS THOMPSON . . . 289 IN MEMORY OF MEREDITH .... ART..... ..... 292 A FRIEND OF CARLYLE 294 THE TESTIMONY OF ...... ...... 302 THE SCHOLARS 303 RESURRECTION ..... ..... 304 A JAPANESE LOVE-SONG 306 THE TWO PAINTERS ....... 308 THE ENCHANTED ISLAND . . . . .318 UNITY 323 THE HILL-FLOWER...... ...... 334 ACTION 327 LUCIFERS FEAST . . . . -333 VETERANS . THE QUES QUEST RENEWED ... 341 THE LIGHTS OF HOME . . . . -343 TWEEN THE LIGHTS ..... 344 CREATION . 34 ,.o THE PASSING OF THE KING . . . ,5 THE SAILOR-KING.... THE FIDDLERS FAREWELL ... ,55 TO A PESSIMIST MOUNT IDA . 35 COLLECTED POEMS. DRAKE. DEDICATED TO RUDOLPH CHAMBERS LEHMANN. EXORDIUM. WHEN on the highest ridge of that strange land, Under the cloudless blinding tropic blue, Drake and his band of swarthy seamen stood With dazed eyes gazing round them, emerald fans Ofpalm that fell like fountains over cliffs Of gorgeous red anana bloom obscured Their sight on every side. Illustrious gleams Of rose and green and gold streamed from the plumes That flashed like living rainbows through the glades. Piratic glints of musketoon and sword, The scarlet scarves around the tawny throats, The bright brass ear-rings in the sun-black ears, And the calm faces of the negro guides Opposed their barbarous bravery to the noon Yet a deep silence dreadfully besieged Even those mighty hearts upon the verge Of the undiscovered world. Behind them lay The old earth they knew. In front they could not see What lay beyond the ridge. Only they heard Cries of the painted birds troubling the heat And shivering through the woods till Francis Drake Plunged through the hush, took hold upon a tree, The tallest near them, and clomb upward, branch By branch. And lo, as he swung clear above The steep-down forest, on his wondering eyes Mile upon mile of rugged shimmering gold Burst the unknown immeasurable sea. Then he descended and with a new voice Vowed that, God helping, he would one day plough Those virgin waters with an English keel...Read More