<h2><SPAN name="chap60"></SPAN>TO IMAGINATION<br/> SUGGESTED BY MAXFIELD PARRISH’S “AIR CASTLES”</h2>
<p class="poem">
O beauteous boy a-dream, what visions sought<br/>
Of pictures magical thy eyes unfold,<br/>
What triumphs of celestial wonders wrought,<br/>
What marvels from a breath of beauty rolled!<br/>
Skyward and seaward on the clouds are scrolled,<br/>
A mystic imagery of castled thought,<br/>
A thousand worlds to lose,—or win and mould—<br/>
A radiant iridescence swiftly caught<br/>
Of ever-changing glory, fancy-fraught.<br/>
<br/>
Blue wonder of the sea and luminous sky,<br/>
A thousand wonders in thy dreamlit face,—<br/>
Eyes that behold afar the turrets high<br/>
Of Ilium, and the transient mortal grace<br/>
Of Deirdre’s sadness, all the conquering race<br/>
Of Athens,—eyes that saw Eden’s beauty lie<br/>
In passionate adoration—visions trace<br/>
Across the tender brooding of the sigh<br/>
That wrecked a city and made chieftains die.<br/>
<br/>
Forward not backward turns the mystic shine<br/>
Of those far-seeing orbs that track the gleam—<br/>
The fleecy marvel of the cloud is line<br/>
On line the wizard tracery of a dream.<br/>
O lad, who buildest not of things that seem,<br/>
Beyond what bounds of visioning divine<br/>
Came that far smile, from what long-strayed sun-beam<br/>
Caught thou the radiance, from what fostering vine<br/>
The power to build and mould the deep design?<br/>
<br/>
Knowest thou the secret that thy brush would tell,<br/>
Is all the dream a bubbled splendor white,<br/>
Beyond those castles cloud-bound, does there dwell<br/>
The eternal silence of the dark—or light?<br/>
Will thy hand hold the pen which shall indict<br/>
The symboled mystery-write the final knell<br/>
Of rainbow fancy-is the distant sight<br/>
A nothingless encircled by a spell<br/>
Of gleaming bubbles wrought of beauty’s shell?<br/>
<br/>
In vain to question, where the mystery<br/>
Of Youth’s short golden dream is lord and king.<br/>
The eyes that farthest gaze in ecstasy,<br/>
Were never meant to paint the immortal thing<br/>
They see, nor understand the joy they bring.<br/>
The misty baubles of the sky and sea<br/>
Sail on. Dream still, bright-visioned boy, and fling<br/>
The glittering mantle of thy thoughts that flee,<br/>
Weaving us evermore thy shining pageantry.<br/></p>
<p class="left">
DORTHEA LAWRENCE MANN</p>
<div style="break-after:column;"></div><br />
1 of 2
2 of 2
Previous
Next
Update Required
To play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin.