Lake Winnipesaukee Poems

Rattlesnake Gal · 11-20-2004, 04:02 PM

This is a nice thread for the poetry lovers out there. Not exactly sure where I found these ones.

POEMS OF PAUL HAMILTON HAYNE
1830-1886

LAKE WINNIPISEOGEE

ONE day the River of Life flowed o'er
The verge of heaven's enchanted shore,
And falling without lapse or break.
Its waters formed this wondrous lake.

Hence the far sheen of Eden palms
Is mirrored in its silvery calms,
And all its rich cerulean dyes
Are deep as Raphael's splendid eyes.

And hence the unimagined grace
Which sanctifies this lonely place,--
A subtle, soft, ethereal spell
Of light and sound ineffable.

Surely such tempered glory paints
The mystic City of the Saints;
Such music breathes its dying falls
Above the heavenly palace walls.

O lake of peace! whose still expanse
Gleams through a golden-misted trance,
Earth holds thee sacred and apart,
The cloistered darling of her heart.

LAKE MISTS
[Composed near Lake Winnipiseogee.]

AS I gazed on the prospect enchanted,
On waves the sun-glory had kissed,
There slowly swept down from the distance,
The phantom-like bands of the mist.

On their feet that were spectrally soundless,
They glided fantastic and chill
While a prescient pallor crept over
The beauty of lake-side and hill!

All nature grew cold at their advent!
Like Thugs of the air, demon-born,
With their coils of blue vapor they strangled
The virgin effulgence of morn.

By that ambush of darkness was girdled
Each bright beam in dreary embrace,
Till the fairest young dawn of September
Lay wan on her death-shadowed face.

When wildly and weirdly from sea-ward,
A low wind how mournfully stole!
Like all anthem outbreathed for the morning,
Thus sternly divorced from her soul!

11-20-2004, 04:02 PM	#1
Rattlesnake Gal Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Central NH Posts: 5,253 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 1,455 Thanked 1,357 Times in 476 Posts	Lake Winnipesaukee Poems This is a nice thread for the poetry lovers out there. Not exactly sure where I found these ones. POEMS OF PAUL HAMILTON HAYNE 1830-1886 LAKE WINNIPISEOGEE ONE day the River of Life flowed o'er The verge of heaven's enchanted shore, And falling without lapse or break. Its waters formed this wondrous lake. Hence the far sheen of Eden palms Is mirrored in its silvery calms, And all its rich cerulean dyes Are deep as Raphael's splendid eyes. And hence the unimagined grace Which sanctifies this lonely place,-- A subtle, soft, ethereal spell Of light and sound ineffable. Surely such tempered glory paints The mystic City of the Saints; Such music breathes its dying falls Above the heavenly palace walls. O lake of peace! whose still expanse Gleams through a golden-misted trance, Earth holds thee sacred and apart, The cloistered darling of her heart. LAKE MISTS [Composed near Lake Winnipiseogee.] AS I gazed on the prospect enchanted, On waves the sun-glory had kissed, There slowly swept down from the distance, The phantom-like bands of the mist. On their feet that were spectrally soundless, They glided fantastic and chill While a prescient pallor crept over The beauty of lake-side and hill! All nature grew cold at their advent! Like Thugs of the air, demon-born, With their coils of blue vapor they strangled The virgin effulgence of morn. By that ambush of darkness was girdled Each bright beam in dreary embrace, Till the fairest young dawn of September Lay wan on her death-shadowed face. When wildly and weirdly from sea-ward, A low wind how mournfully stole! Like all anthem outbreathed for the morning, Thus sternly divorced from her soul!