Fancy and the Poet

Fancy and the Poet

Original Text
Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library MS. 3080, holograph collection of poems, "Written for Agnes Dunbar FitzGibbon, with the love and blessing of her old Mother Susanna Moodie -- March -- 6th -- 1866."
                     Poet --
1Enchanting spirit! -- at thy votive shrine
2I lowly bend a simple wreath to twine;
3O Come from the ideal world and fling
4Thy airy fingers o'er my rugged string;
5Sweep the dark chords of thought and give to earth
6The thrilling song that tells thy heavenly birth --
                      Fancy --
7Happiness when from earth she fled
8    I passed on her heavenward flight --
9"Take this crown," the spirit said
10    "Of heaven's own golden light --
11To the sons of sorrow the token give,
12And bid them follow my steps and live!" --
13I took the crown from the snowy hand,
14    It flashed like a living star;
15I turned this dark earth to a fairy land
16    When I hither drive my car;
17But I placed the crown round my tresses bright,
18And man only saw its reflected light --
19Many a lovely dream I've given,
20    And many a song divine;
21But never! -- oh never -- that gift of heaven
22    Shall mortals temples twine --
23Hope and love in the circlet glow!
24'Tis all too bright for a world of woe --
                        Poet --
25Hist -- Beautiful spirit! -- why silent so soon?
26My ear drinks each word of thy magical tune;
27My lyre owns thy touch -- and its tremulous strings
28Vibrate beneath the soft play of thy wings;
29Resume thy sweet lay, and reveal, ere we part
30Thy home lovely spirit -- and say what thou art?" --
                        Fancy --
31The gleam of a star thou cans't not see --
32Of an eye 'neath its sleeping lid,
33The sound of a far off melody
34    The voice of a stream that's hid;
35Such must I still remain to thee
36A wonder and a mystery! --
37I live in the poet's dream
38    I flash on the painter's eye;
39I dwell in the moon's pale beam,
40    In the depths of the star lit sky;
41I traverse the earth, the air, the main,
42And bind young hearts in my magic chain --
43I float on the fleecy cloud
44    My voice is in ev'ry breeze;
45I speak in the tempest loud,
46    In the sigh of the waving trees --
47To the sons of earth -- in a mystic tone,
48I tell of a world more bright than their own! --

Notes

2] a: one 1831. Back to Line
3] Come from the: come from thy 1831. Back to Line
6] thrilling: wild sweet 1831. Back to Line
9] crown: wreath 1831. Back to Line
10] Of heaven's own golden light --: And bathe it in floods of light 1831. Back to Line
13] crown from the snowy hand: wreath from her radiant hand 1831. Back to Line
14] It flashed like a living star: Each flower was a silver star 1831. Back to Line
17] placed the crown: wove the wreath 1831. Back to Line
21] gift: wreath 1831. Back to Line
24] circlet: chapet 1831. Back to Line
26] ear: soul 1831. Back to Line
28] Vibrate: Still vibrate 1831. Back to Line
31] thou: which thou 1831. Back to Line
33] sound: tune 1831. Back to Line
42] magic: golden 1831. Back to Line
43] fleecy: crimson 1831. Back to Line
46] waving: wind-stirred 1831. Back to Line
47] mystic: magic 1831. Back to Line
Publication Start Year
1831
Publication Notes
Susanna Strickland, Enthusiasm, And Other Poems (London: Smith and Elder, 1831).
RPO poem Editors
Ian Lancashire
RPO Edition
RPO 1999.
Rhyme
ababcc