TO OUTER NATURE

Show thee as I thought thee

When I early sought thee,

Omen-scouting,

All undoubting

Love alone had wrought thee -

Wrought thee for my pleasure,

Planned thee as a measure

For expounding

And resounding

Glad things that men treasure.

O for but a moment

Of that old endowment -

Light to gaily

See thy daily

Irised embowment!

But such re-adorning

Time forbids with scorning -

Makes me see things

Cease to be things

They were in my morning.

Fad'st thou, glow-forsaken,

Darkness-overtaken!

Thy first sweetness,

Radiance, meetness,

None shall re-awaken.

Why not sempiternal

Thou and I? Our vernal

Brightness keeping,

Time outleaping;

Passed the hodiernal!