TWO SONNETS OF THE SIRENS.

The Sirens once were maidens innocent

That through the water-meads with Proserpine

Plucked no fire-hearted flowers, but were content

Cool fritillaries and flag-flowers to twine,

With lilies woven and with wet woodbine;

Till once they sought the bright AEtnaean flowers,

And their glad mistress fled from summer hours

With Hades, far from olive, corn, and vine.

And they have sought her all the wide world through

Till many years, and wisdom, and much wrong

Have filled and changed their song, and o'er the blue

Rings deadly sweet the magic of the song,

And whoso hears must listen till he die

Far on the flowery shores of Sicily.

So is it with this singing art of ours,

That once with maids went maidenlike, and played

With woven dances in the poplar-shade,

And all her song was but of lady's bowers

And the returning swallows, and spring flowers,

Till forth to seek a shadow-queen she strayed,

A shadowy land; and now hath overweighed

Her singing chaplet with the snow and showers.

Yes, fair well-water for the bitter brine

She left, and by the margin of life's sea

Sings, and her song is full of the sea's moan,

And wild with dread, and love of Proserpine;

And whoso once has listened to her, he

His whole life long is slave to her alone.