On The Portrait Of A Beautiful Woman,

CARVED ON HER MONUMENT.

  Such _wast_ thou: now in earth below,

  Dust and a skeleton thou art.

  Above thy bones and clay,

  Here vainly placed by loving hands,

  Sole guardian of memory and woe,

  The image of departed beauty stands.

  Mute, motionless, it seems with pensive gaze

  To watch the flight of the departing days.

  That gentle look, that, wheresoe'er it fell,

  As now it seems to fall,

  Held fast the gazer with its magic spell;

  That lip, from which as from some copious urn,

  Redundant pleasure seems to overflow;

  That neck, on which love once so fondly hung;

  That loving hand, whose tender pressure still

  The hand it clasped, with trembling joy would thrill;

  That bosom, whose transparent loveliness

  The color from the gazer's cheek would steal;

  All these _have been_; and now remains alone

  A wretched heap of bones and clay,

  Concealed from sight by this benignant stone.

  To this hath Fate reduced

  The form, that, when with life it beamed,

  To us heaven's liveliest image seemed.

  O Nature's endless mystery!

  To-day, of grand and lofty thoughts the source,

  And feelings not to be described,

  Beauty rules all, and seems,

  Like some mysterious splendor from on high

  Forth-darted to illuminate

  This dreary wilderness;

  Of superhuman fate,

  Of fortunate realms, and golden worlds,

  A token, and a hope secure

  To give our mortal state;

  To-morrow, for some trivial cause,

  Loathsome to sight, abominable, base

  Becomes, what but a little time before

  Wore such an angel face;

  And from our minds, in the same breath,

  The grand conception it inspired,

  Swift vanishes and leaves no trace.

  What infinite desires,

  What visions grand and high,

  In our exalted thought,

  With magic power creates, true harmony!

  O'er a delicious and mysterious sea,

  The exulting spirit glides,

  As some bold swimmer sports in Ocean's tides:

  But oh, the mischief that is wrought,

  If but one accent out of tune

  Assaults the ear! Alas, how soon

  Our paradise is turned to naught!

  O human nature, why is this?

  If frail and vile throughout,

  If shadow, dust thou art, say, why

  Hast thou such fancies, aspirations high?

  And yet, if framed for nobler ends,

  Alas, why are we doomed

  To see our highest motives, truest thoughts,

  By such base causes kindled, and consumed?