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phantasmagoria and other poems-第7章

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In tone of cold malignity:

〃To others; yea:  but not to thee。〃



But when she saw him quail and quake;

And when he urged 〃For pity's sake!〃

Once more in gentle tones she spake。



〃Thought in the mind doth still abide

That is by Intellect supplied;

And within that Idea doth hide:



〃And he; that yearns the truth to know;

Still further inwardly may go;

And find Idea from Notion flow:



〃And thus the chain; that sages sought;

Is to a glorious circle wrought;

For Notion hath its source in Thought。〃



So passed they on with even pace:

Yet gradually one might trace

A shadow growing on his face。





The Second Voice





THEY walked beside the wave…worn beach;

Her tongue was very apt to teach;

And now and then he did beseech



She would abate her dulcet tone;

Because the talk was all her own;

And he was dull as any drone。



She urged 〃No cheese is made of chalk〃:

And ceaseless flowed her dreary talk;

Tuned to the footfall of a walk。



Her voice was very full and rich;

And; when at length she asked him 〃Which?〃

It mounted to its highest pitch。



He a bewildered answer gave;

Drowned in the sullen moaning wave;

Lost in the echoes of the cave。



He answered her he knew not what:

Like shaft from bow at random shot;

He spoke; but she regarded not。



She waited not for his reply;

But with a downward leaden eye

Went on as if he were not by



Sound argument and grave defence;

Strange questions raised on 〃Why?〃 and 〃Whence?〃

And wildly tangled evidence。



When he; with racked and whirling brain;

Feebly implored her to explain;

She simply said it all again。



Wrenched with an agony intense;

He spake; neglecting Sound and Sense;

And careless of all consequence:



〃Mind … I believe … is Essence … Ent …

Abstract … that is … an Accident …

Which we … that is to say … I meant … 〃



When; with quick breath and cheeks all flushed;

At length his speech was somewhat hushed;

She looked at him; and he was crushed。



It needed not her calm reply:

She fixed him with a stony eye;

And he could neither fight nor fly。



While she dissected; word by word;

His speech; half guessed at and half heard;

As might a cat a little bird。



Then; having wholly overthrown

His views; and stripped them to the bone;

Proceeded to unfold her own。



〃Shall Man be Man?  And shall he miss

Of other thoughts no thought but this;

Harmonious dews of sober bliss?



〃What boots it?  Shall his fevered eye

Through towering nothingness descry

The grisly phantom hurry by?



〃And hear dumb shrieks that fill the air;

See mouths that gape; and eyes that stare

And redden in the dusky glare?



〃The meadows breathing amber light;

The darkness toppling from the height;

The feathery train of granite Night?



〃Shall he; grown gray among his peers;

Through the thick curtain of his tears

Catch glimpses of his earlier years;



〃And hear the sounds he knew of yore;

Old shufflings on the sanded floor;

Old knuckles tapping at the door?



〃Yet still before him as he flies

One pallid form shall ever rise;

And; bodying forth in glassy eyes



〃The vision of a vanished good;

Low peering through the tangled wood;

Shall freeze the current of his blood。〃



Still from each fact; with skill uncouth

And savage rapture; like a tooth

She wrenched some slow reluctant truth。



Till; like a silent water…mill;

When summer suns have dried the rill;

She reached a full stop; and was still。



Dead calm succeeded to the fuss;

As when the loaded omnibus

Has reached the railway terminus:



When; for the tumult of the street;

Is heard the engine's stifled beat;

The velvet tread of porters' feet。



With glance that ever sought the ground;

She moved her lips without a sound;

And every now and then she frowned。



He gazed upon the sleeping sea;

And joyed in its tranquillity;

And in that silence dead; but she



To muse a little space did seem;

Then; like the echo of a dream;

Harked back upon her threadbare theme。



Still an attentive ear he lent

But could not fathom what she meant:

She was not deep; nor eloquent。



He marked the ripple on the sand:

The even swaying of her hand

Was all that he could understand。



He saw in dreams a drawing…room;

Where thirteen wretches sat in gloom;

Waiting … he thought he knew for whom:



He saw them drooping here and there;

Each feebly huddled on a chair;

In attitudes of blank despair:



Oysters were not more mute than they;

For all their brains were pumped away;

And they had nothing more to say …



Save one; who groaned 〃Three hours are gone!〃

Who shrieked 〃We'll wait no longer; John!

Tell them to set the dinner on!〃



The vision passed:  the ghosts were fled:

He saw once more that woman dread:

He heard once more the words she said。



He left her; and he turned aside:

He sat and watched the coming tide

Across the shores so newly dried。



He wondered at the waters clear;

The breeze that whispered in his ear;

The billows heaving far and near;



And why he had so long preferred

To hang upon her every word:

〃In truth;〃 he said; 〃it was absurd。〃





The Third Voice





NOT long this transport held its place:

Within a little moment's space

Quick tears were raining down his face



His heart stood still; aghast with fear;

A wordless voice; nor far nor near;

He seemed to hear and not to hear。



〃Tears kindle not the doubtful spark。

If so; why not?  Of this remark

The bearings are profoundly dark。〃



〃Her speech;〃 he said; 〃hath caused this pain。

Easier I count it to explain

The jargon of the howling main;



〃Or; stretched beside some babbling brook;

To con; with inexpressive look;

An unintelligible book。〃



Low spake the voice within his head;

In words imagined more than said;

Soundless as ghost's intended tread:



〃If thou art duller than before;

Why quittedst thou the voice of lore?

Why not endure; expecting more?〃



〃Rather than that;〃 he groaned aghast;

〃I'd writhe in depths of cavern vast;

Some loathly vampire's rich repast。〃



〃'Twere hard;〃 it answered; 〃themes immense

To coop within the narrow fence

That rings THY scant intelligence。〃



〃Not so;〃 he urged; 〃nor once alone:

But there was something in her tone

That chilled me to the very bone。



〃Her style was anything but clear;

And most unpleasantly severe;

Her epithets were very queer。



〃And yet; so grand were her replies;

I could not choose but deem her wise;

I did not dare to criticise;



〃Nor did I leave her; till she went

So deep in tangled argument

That all my powers of thought were spent。〃



A little whisper inly slid;

〃Yet truth is truth:  you know you did。〃

A little wink beneath the lid。



And; sickened with excess of dread;

Prone to the dust he bent his head;

And lay like one three…quarters dead



The whisper left him … like a breeze

Lost in the depths of leafy trees …

Left him by no means at his ease。



Once more he weltered in despair;

With hands; through denser…matted hair;

More tightly clenched than then
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