WITH rapture and delight I oft admire
Jehovah’s works that come within my view,
Himself exceeding admiration’s ken,
Or ought that I could fancy that is great,
Is good, is glorious, without compare.
The season this, when Autumn richly pours
Prolific bounty o’er this fav’rite isle.
Here universal peace and plenty reigns,
While beasts, and birds, and insects feed around.
And when their thirst is quench’d at limpid stream,
In sportive gambols spend the live-long day.
Till sober eve invites to rural walk,
By humble hedge-row, deck’d with foliage green,
To smell the fragrance of the scented briar.
Now ev’ry scene looks gay, it yields delight,
And fits the mind to wonder and adore.
Among the branches, feather’d choristers
Have sung their ev’ning lay, and are retir’d
To rest their downy wings, till morning dawn.
All but sweet philomel, her notes prolong’d
Swell with the breeze, in charming symphony,
To sooth the lover’s woe, that wanders forth,
(When absent from the maid his heart holds dear,)
Alone to vent his plaint. Pensive and sad
He seeks the shade, and shuns each vulgar joy.
Thy song, sweet bird, hath lull’d his griefs to rest,
While pleasing hope restores his fancied bliss.
And now retard my wond’ring eyes this eve,
With divers hues, and beauties manifold.
The sky in azure clad, serene and clear,
By sun’s decline, just tinged with florid gold;
And not the most elaborate assay
Of skilful artist, when his pencil’s dip’d
In ev’ry varied tint he hath prepar’d,
A form so lovely ever could produce
To gazer’s eye, as that I now behold.
But as I upwards look again, how chang’d!
The clouds seem hov’ring round, with moisture fill’d,
From vapours gather’d and laid up for use,
(By sov’reign will of him who all commands,)
And liberal sends on earth their copious show’rs,
The water ev’ry flow’ret, tree, and plant,
That else would languish, wither, and decay,
If long withheld from vegetation’s store,
The liquid juice that makes all nature bloom.
But while my thoughts o’er various prospects rove,
Or fix’d intent on some peculiar space,
Behold the day’s most splendid visitant,
His pow’rful beams withdrawn to other climes,
And cheering warmth hath left our hemisphere.
But in his absence not without solace,
The moon appears with milder radiance,
Her influence benign and fainter glow,
With each revolving planet as it rolls,
Performs her destin’d circuit through the sky,
Tho’ not like sparkling emanation,
Of dazz’ling, grand, majestic god of day,
When he shines forth in full meridian blaze;
Or when his rising beauties streak the east,
And brightness gilds the lofty mountain’s brow;
Yet peaceful and serene, she sheds her light
Around the globe, diffusing happiness,
With less obtrusive unoffending lustre.
Also those twinkling stars re-animate,
With their resplendant rays, the dusky night.
Throughout the vast expanse, those gems appear,
(Beneficent that Power that plac’d them there,)
When they withdraw, darkness reigns absolute,
And throws around a joyless total gloom.
One lucid orb, more glitt’ring then the rest,
‘Tis called the star of eve, and strikes the eye,
Amidst the num’rous throng, with circled sphere,
Surpassing, and more refulgent brightness.
(Margaretta Wedderburn)
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Based on Topics: Love Poems, Night Poems, Light Poems, Mind Poems, Sadness Poems, Nature Poems, Joy & Excitement Poems, Happiness Poems, Gold Poems, Art Poems, Birds PoemsBased on Keywords: emanation, obtrusive, unoffending, dazz, re-animate, resplendant