Chapter I: Front Matter

WORKS BY THE SAME AUTHOR.

THE SHAVING OF SHAGPAT: AN ARABIAN ENTERTAINMENT.
THE ORDEAL OF RICHARD FEVEREL.
EVAN HARRINGTON.
EMILIA IN ENGLAND.
VITTORIA.
BEAUCHAMP’S CAREER.
THE EGOIST.
&c. &c.

_Forthcoming Publications in Verse._

POEMS.
THE SENTIMENTALISTS: A COMEDY.

POEMS AND LYRICS

OF

THE JOY OF EARTH

POEMS AND LYRICS

OF

THE JOY OF EARTH

BY
GEORGE MEREDITH

London
MACMILLAN AND CO.
1883

_Printed by_ R. & R. CLARK, _Edinburgh_.

INSCRIBED TO

JAMES COTTER MORISON

* * * *
_Antistans mihi milibus trecentis._

CONTENTS.

PAGE
THE WOODS OF WESTERMAIN 1

A BALLAD OF PAST MERIDIAN 28

THE DAY OF THE DAUGHTER OF HADES 30

THE LARK ASCENDING 64

PHOEBUS WITH ADMETUS 71

MELAMPUS 79

LOVE IN THE VALLEY 87

THE THREE SINGERS TO YOUNG BLOOD 101

THE ORCHARD AND THE HEATH 105

MARTIN’S PUZZLE 109

EARTH AND MAN 115

A BALLAD OF FAIR LADIES IN REVOLT 130

SONNETS.

LUCIFER IN STARLIGHT 157

THE STAR SIRIUS 158

SENSE AND SPIRIT 159

EARTH’S SECRET 160

THE SPIRIT OF SHAKESPEARE 161

THE SPIRIT OF SHAKESPEARE--_Continued_ 162

INTERNAL HARMONY 163

GRACE AND LOVE 164

APPRECIATION 165

THE DISCIPLINE OF WISDOM 166

THE STATE OF AGE 167

PROGRESS 168

THE WORLD’S ADVANCE 169

A CERTAIN PEOPLE 170

THE GARDEN OF EPICURUS 171

A LATER ALEXANDRIAN 172

AN ORSON OF THE MUSE 173

THE POINT OF TASTE 174

CAMELUS SALTAT 175

CAMELUS SALTAT--_Continued_ 176

TO J. M. 177

TO A FRIEND LOST 178

MY THEME 179

MY THEME--_Continued_ 180

TIME AND SENTIMENT 181

THE WOODS OF WESTERMAIN.

I.

Enter these enchanted woods,
You who dare.
Nothing harms beneath the leaves
More than waves a swimmer cleaves.
Toss your heart up with the lark,
Foot at peace with mouse and worm,
Fair you fare.
Only at a dread of dark
Quaver, and they quit their form:
Thousand eyeballs under hoods
Have you by the hair.
Enter these enchanted woods,
You who dare.

II.

Here the snake across your path
Stretches in his golden bath:
Mossy-footed squirrels leap
Soft as winnowing plumes of Sleep:
Yaffles on a chuckle skim
Low to laugh from branches dim:
Up the pine, where sits the star,
Rattles deep the moth-winged jar.
Each has business of his own;
But should you distrust a tone,
Then beware.
Shudder all the haunted roods,
All the eyeballs under hoods
Shroud you in their glare.
Enter these enchanted woods,
You who dare.