I would be a merman bold

I would sit and sing the whole of the day; I would fill the sea-halls with a voice of (power;

But at night I would roam abroad and play
With the mermaids in and out of the rocks,
Dressing their hair with the whitesea-flower;
And holding them back by their flowing
(locks

I would kiss them often under the sea,
And kiss them again till they kiss'd me
Laughingly, laughingly;

And then we would wander away, away
To the pale-green sea-groves straight and
(high,

Chasing each other merrily.

III.

There would be neither moon nor star; But the wave would make music above us (afar

Low thunder and light in the magic night

Neither moon nor star.

We would call aloud in the dreamy dells, Call to each other and whoop and cry

All night, merrily, merrily; They would pelt me with starry spangles (and shells,

Laughing and clapping their hands between,
All night, merrily, merrily:

But I would throw to them back in mine
Turkis and agate and almondine:
Then leaping out upon them unseen
I would kiss them often under the sea,
And kiss them again till they kiss'd me
Laughingly, laughingly.

O! what a happy life were mine
Under the hollow-hung ocean green
Soft are the moss-beds under the sea;
We would live merrily, merrily.

THE MERMAID.

I.

WHO would be

A mermaid fair,

LOVE AND DEATH.

WHAT time the mighty moon was gathering (light

Love paced the thymy plots of Paradise, And all about him roll'd his lustrous eyes; When, turning round a cassia, full in view Death, walking all alone beneath a yew, And talking to himself, first met his sight: "You must begone," said Death, these (walks are mine."

Love wept and spread his sheeny vans for (flight;

Yet ere he parted said, "This hour is thine: Thou art the shadow of life, and as the tree Stands in the sun and shadows all beneath, So in the light of great eternity

Life eminent creates the shade of death; The shadow passeth when the tree shall fall, But I shall reign for ever over all."

THE BALLAD OF ORIANA. My heart is wasted with my woe, Oriana.

There is no rest for me below,

Oriana.

When the long dun wolds are ribb'd with (snow,

And loud the Norland whirlwinds blow,

Oriana,

Alone I wander to and fro,

Oriana.

I would be a merman bold

I would sit and sing the whole of the day; I would fill the sea-halls with a voice of (power;

But at night I would roam abroad and play
With the mermaids in and out of the rocks,
Dressing their hair with the white sea-flower;
And holding them back by their flowing
(locks

I would kiss them often under the sea,
And kiss them again till they kiss'd me
Laughingly, laughingly;

And then we would wander away, away
To the pale-green sea-groves straight and
(high,

Chasing each other merrily.

III.

There would be neither moon nor star;

But the wave would make music above us (afar

Low thunder and light in the magic nightNeither moon nor star.

We would call aloud in the dreamy dells, Call to each other and whoop and cry

All night, merrily, merrily; They would pelt me with starry spangles (and shells,

Laughing and clapping their hands between,
All night, merrily, merrily:

But I would throw to them back in mine
Turkis and agate and almondine:
Then leaping out upon them unseen
I would kiss them often under the sea,
And kiss them again till they kiss'd me
Laughingly, laughingly.

O! what a happy life were mine
Under the hollow-hung ocean green
Soft are the moss-beds under the sea;
We would live merrily, merrily.

THE MERMAID.

I.

WHO would be

A mermaid fair,

Low adown, low adown,

From under my starry sea-bud crown
Low adown and around,

And I should look like a fountain of gold
Springing alone

With a shrill inner sound,
Over the throne

In the midst of the hall;

Till that great sea-snake under the sea From his coiled sleeps in the central deeps Would slowly trail himself sevenfold

Round the hall where I sate, and look in at (the gate

With his large calm eyes for the love of me.
And all the mermen under the sea
Would feel their immortality

Die in their hearts for the love of me.

III.

But at night I would wander away, away, I would fling on each side my low-flowing (locks,

And lightly vault from the throne and play With the mermen in and out of the rocks; We would run to and fro, and hide and seek, On the broad sea-wolds in the crimson shells, Whose silvery spikes are nighest the sea. But if any came near I would call, and shriek, And adown the steep like a wave I would (leap

From the diamond-ledges that jut from the (dells;

For I would not be kiss'd by all who would (list,

Of the bold merry mermen under the sea; They would sue me, and woo me, and flat(ter me,

In the purple twilights under the sea;
But the king of them all would carry me,
Woo me, and win me, and marry me,
In the branching jaspers under the sea;

A latter Luther, and a soldier-priest
To scare church-harpies from the master's:
(feast;

Our dusted velvets have much need of thee
Thou art no sabbath-drawler of old saws,
Distill'd from some worm-canker'd homily;
But spurr'd at heart with fieriest energy
To embattail and to wall about thy cause
With iron-worded proof, hating to hark
The humming of the drowsy pulpit-drone
Half God's good sabbath, while the worn-
(out clerk

Brow-beats his desk below. Thou from a (throne

Mounted in heaven wilt shoot into the dark
Arrows of lightnings, I will stand and mark.

THE LADY OF SHALOTT.
PART I.

On either side the river lie
Long fields of barley and of rye,
That clothe the wold and meet the sky;
And thro' the field the road runs by

To many-tower'd Camelot;
And up and down the people go,
Gazing where the lilies blow
Round an island there below

The island of Shalott.
Willows whiten, aspens quiver,
Little breezes dusk and shiver

Thro' the wave that runs for ever
By the island in the river

Flowing down to Camelot.
Four gray walls, and four gray towers,
Overlook a space of flowers,
And the silent isle imbowers

The Lady of Shalott.
By the margin, willow-veil'd,
Slide the heavy barges trail'd