SONGOFTHESOLDIERS\'WIVES
I
Atlast！Insightofhomeagain，Ofhomeagain;
NomoretorangeandroamagainAsatthatbygonetime？
NomoretogoawayfromusAndstayfromus？
Dawn，holdnotlongthedayfromus，Butquickenittoprime！
II
Nowallthetownshallringtothem，Shallringtothem，AndwewholovethemclingtothemAndclaspthemjoyfully;
Andcry，\"Omuchwe\'lldoforyouAnewforyou，DearLoves！—aye，drawandhewforyou，Comebackfromoversea。\"
III
Sometoldusweshouldmeetnomore，Shouldmeetnomore;
Shouldwait，andwish，butgreetnomoreYourfacesroundourfires;
That，inawhile，uncharilyAnddrearilyMengavetheirlives—evenwearily，Likethosewhomlivingtires。
IV
Andnowyouarenearinghomeagain，Dears，homeagain;
Nomore，maybe，toroamagainAsatthatbygonetime，WhichtookyoufarawayfromusTostayfromus;
Dawn，holdnotlongthedayfromus，Butquickenittoprime！
THESICKGOD
I
Indayswhenmenhadjoyofwar，AGodofBattlesspedeachmortaljar;
Thepeoplespledgedhimheartandhand，FromIsrael\'slandtoislesafar。
II
Hiscrimsonform，withclangandchime，Flashedoneachmurkandmurderousmeeting—time，Andkingsinvoked，forrapeandraid，Hisfearsomeaidinruneandrhyme。
III
Onbruiseandblood—hole，scarandseam，Onbladeandbolt，heflunghisfulgidbeam:
Hishaloesrayedtheverygore，Andcorpsesworehisglory—gleam。
IV
OftenanearlyKingorQueen，Andstoriedheroonward，knewhissheen;
\'TwasglimpsedbyWolfe，byNeyanon，AndNelsononhisbluedemesne。
V
Butnewlightspread。Thatgod\'sgoldnimbAndblazonhavewaneddimmerandmoredim;
Evenhisflushedformbeginstofade，Tillbutashadeisleftofhim。
VI
ThatmodernmeditationbrokeHisspell，thatpenmen\'spleadingsdealtastroke，Saysome;andsomethatcrimestoodireDidmuchtomirehiscrimsoncloak。
VII
Yea，seedsofcrescivesympathyWeresownbythosemoreexcellentthanhe，Longknown，thoughlongcontemnedtillthen
Thegodsofmeninamity。
VIII
Soulshavegrownseers，andthoughtout—bringsThemournfulmany—sidednessofthingsWithfoesasfriends，enfeeblingiresAndfury—firesbygaingivings！
IX
Hescarceimpassionschampionsnow;
Theydoanddare，buttensely—paleofbrow;
AndwouldtheyfainupliftthearmOfthatfaintformtheyknownothow。
X
Yetwarsarise，thoughzestgrowscold;
Wherefore，atwhiles，as\'twereinancientmouldHelooms，bepatchedwithpaintandlath;
Butneverhathheseemedtheold！
XI
Letmenrejoice，letmendeplore。
TheluridDeityofheretoforeSuccumbstooneofsanernod;
TheBattle—godisgodnomore。
GENOAANDTHEMEDITERRANEAN
（March，1887）
Oepic—famed，god—hauntedCentralSea，HeavecarelessofthedeepwrongdonetotheeWhenfromTorino\'strackIsawthyfacefirstflashonme。
AndmultimarbledGenovatheProud，Gleamallunconscioushow，wide—lipped，up—browed，Ifirstbeheldtheeclad—notastheBeautybuttheDowd。
Outfromadeep—delvedwaymyvisionlitOnhousebackspink，green，ochreous—whereaslitShoreward\'twixtrowandrowrevealedtheclassicbluethroughit。
Andthereacrosswavedfishwives\'high—hungsmocks，Chromekerchiefs，scarlethose，darnedunderfrocks;
Sincewhentoooftmydreamsofthee，OQueen，thatfripperymocks:
WhereatIgrieve，Superba！AfterhoursWithinPalazzoDoria\'sorangebowersWentfartomendthesemarringsofthysoul—sublimingpowers。
But，Queen，suchsqualidundressnoneshouldsee，Thosedream—endangeringeyewoundsnomorebeWhereloversfirstbeholdthyforminpilgrimagetothee。
SHELLEY\'SSKYLARK
（TheneighbourhoodofLeghorn:March，1887）
SomewhereafieldheresomethingliesInEarth\'sobliviouseyelesstrustThatmovedapoettoprophecies
Apinchofunseen，unguardeddustThedustofthelarkthatShelleyheard，Andmadeimmortalthroughtimestobe;
Thoughitonlylivedlikeanotherbird，Andknewnotitsimmortality。
Liveditsmeeklife;then，oneday，fell
Alittleballoffeatherandbone;
Andhowitperished，whenpipedfarewell，Andwhereitwastes，arealikeunknown。
MaybeitrestsintheloamIview，Maybeitthrobsinamyrtle\'sgreen，MaybeitsleepsinthecominghueOfagrapeontheslopesofyoninlandscene。
Gofindit，faeries，goandfindThattinypinchofpricelessdust，Andbringacasketsilver—lined，Andframedofgoldthatgemsencrust;
Andwewilllayitsafetherein，Andconsecrateittoendlesstime;
ForitinspiredabardtowinEcstaticheightsinthoughtandrhyme。
INTHEOLDTHEATRE，FIESOLE
（April，1887）
ItracedtheCircuswhosegraystonesinclineWhereRomeanddimEtruriainterjoin，TillcameachildwhoshowedanancientcoinThatboretheimageofaConstantine。
Shelightlypassed;nordidsheonceopineHow，betterthanallbooks，shehadraisedformeInswiftperspectiveEurope\'shistoryThroughthevastyearsofCaesar\'ssceptredline。
ForinmydistantplotofEnglishloam\'Twasbuttodelve，andstraightwaytheretofindCoinsoflikeimpress。AswithonehalfblindWhomcommonsimplescure，heractflashedhomeInthatmutemomenttomyopenedmindThepower，thepride，thereachofperishedRome。
ROME:ONTHEPALATINE
（April，1887）
WewalkedwhereVictorJovewasshrinedawhile，AndpassedtoLivia\'srichredmuralshow，Whence，thriddingcaveandCriptoportico，WegainedCaligula\'sdissolvingpile。
AndeachrankedruintendedtobeguileTheoutersense，andshapeitselfasthoughItworeitsmarblehues，itspristineglowOfscenicfriezeandpompousperistyle。
Whenlo，swifthands，onstringsnighover—head，BegantomelodizeawaltzbyStrauss:
ItstirredmeasIstood，inCaesar\'shouse，RaisedtheoldroutsImperiallyreshadled，Andblendedpulsinglifewithliveslongdone，TillTimeseemedfiction，PastandPresentone。
ROME
BUILDINGANEWSTREETINTHEANCIENTQUARTER
（April，1887）
ThesenumberedcliffsandgnarlsofmasonryOutskeletonTime\'scentralcity，Rome;
Whereofeacharch，entablature，anddomeLiesbareinallitsgauntanatomy。
AndcrackingfriezeandrottenmetopeExpress，asthoughtheywereanopentomeTop—linedwithcausticmonitorygnome;
\"Dunces，LearnheretospellHumanity！\"
Andyetwithintheseruins\'veryshadeThesingingworkmenshapeandsetandjoinTheirfrailnewmansion\'sstuccoedcoveandquoinWithnoapparentsensethatyearsabrade，ThougheachrentwalltheirfeebleworksinvadeOnceshamedallsuchinpowerofpierandgroin。
ROME