Have stirred from out the abysses of his heart, Unthought-like thoughts that are the souls of thought, Richer, far wilder, far diviner visions Than even the seraph harper, Israfel, (Who has "the sweetest voice of all God's creatures,") Alas, I cannot feel; for 't is not feeling, To where the prospect terminates - thee only. ULALUME. HE skies they were ashen and sober; The leaves they were crisped and sere The leaves they were withering and sere― It was night in the lonesome October Of my most immemorial year; It was hard by the dim lake of Auber, In the misty mid region of Weir- Here once, through an alley Titanic, Their sulphurous currents down Yaanek Our talk had been serious and sober, But our thoughts they were palsied and sere Our memories were treacherous and sere For we knew not the month was October, And we marked not the night of the year- We noted not the dim lake of Auber (Though once we had journeyed down here) – Remembered not the dank tarn of Auber, Nor the ghoul-haunted woodland of Weir. And now, as the night was senescent Distinct with its duplicate horn. And I said "She is warmer than Dian: She has seen that the tears are not dry on These cheeks, where the worm never dies, And has come past the stars of the Lion To shine on us with her bright eyes - But Psyche, uplifting her finger, Said 66 Sadly this star I mistrust- Oh, hasten! oh, let us not linger! Oh, fly! — let us fly!- for we must." In terror she spoke, letting sink her Plumes till they trailed in the dust I replied "This is nothing but dreaming: Its Sybilic splendor is beaming With Hope and in Beauty to-night: See! it flickers up the sky through the night! Ah, we safely may trust to its gleaming, And be sure it will lead us aright— We safely may trust to a gleaming That cannot but guide us aright, Since it flickers up to Heaven through the night." Thus I pacified Psyche and kissed her, And tempted her out of her gloom - And we passed to the end of the vista, But were stopped by the door of a tomb And I said "What is written, sweet sister, On the door of this legended tomb?" - She replied "Ulalume - Ulalume 'Tis the vault of thy lost Ulalume ! " Then my heart it grew ashen and sober As the leaves that were crisped and sere· As the leaves that were withering and sere, And I cried "It was surely October On this very night of last year That I journeyed- I journeyed down here - Ah, what demon has tempted me here? THE BELLS. I. EAR the sledges with the bells Silver bells! What a world of merriment their melody foretells! While the stars that oversprinkle |