SONNETS.Written on viewing the Picture of "The Deluge," painted by F. Danby, Esq., A.R.A.Wegaze in awe upon the solemn scene,With sense and soul absorbed, as if the sightWere tranced in that o'erpowering vengeful lightWhich shrouds the setting sun; and what has beenA world is now a waste of waters, higherAnd darker swells the flood, like one vast pallThrown o'er the guilty ones of earth, Heaven's ireWho braved ere-while.—How fearful, how sublime,How terrible the sight!—widely they climb,To rock and mountain top to 'scape their doom,While rushing torrents, dome and palace hall,The work of man with man himself, consume;Nor these alone! Rock, cliff, and mountain grey,God's handiwork, become with man, their prey!How vast the guilt that thus could doom a worldSo beautiful as ours was ere man sinned,—The waters sweeping, like a mighty wind,To whelm the earth, from its foundations hurled;All nature stood aghast, its course was changed—A comet threw afar its lurid gleam,Up-broke the fountains of the ocean stream,While a fierce earthquake thro' the centre ranged,Shattering the mountains in its might.—How vainWas then the strength of man, as poor his pride,To stem the onsweep of that ceaseless tide,Which desolation spread o'er mount and plain!Anguish and terror, madness and despair,Took hold on all, before they perished there!A towering rock, whose shadow in past daysWas hailed by weary ones a place of rest,Affords brief shelter on its shelving breastTo struggling sufferers crowding from all ways,Trampling their fellows down for life, sweet life!Alas! theJudgment'son them, they as wellMight build their hopes on sand, as stay the swellOf the full flood and elemental strife.Yet has not God forgotten all his loveTo sinful men, theArmthey madly brave"Though strong to smite is also strong to save"—The ark floats high a buried world above!While o'er a lifeless pair, to Heaven still dear,A kneeling Angel drops a pitying tear!(7)
Wegaze in awe upon the solemn scene,With sense and soul absorbed, as if the sightWere tranced in that o'erpowering vengeful lightWhich shrouds the setting sun; and what has beenA world is now a waste of waters, higherAnd darker swells the flood, like one vast pallThrown o'er the guilty ones of earth, Heaven's ireWho braved ere-while.—How fearful, how sublime,How terrible the sight!—widely they climb,To rock and mountain top to 'scape their doom,While rushing torrents, dome and palace hall,The work of man with man himself, consume;Nor these alone! Rock, cliff, and mountain grey,God's handiwork, become with man, their prey!How vast the guilt that thus could doom a worldSo beautiful as ours was ere man sinned,—The waters sweeping, like a mighty wind,To whelm the earth, from its foundations hurled;All nature stood aghast, its course was changed—A comet threw afar its lurid gleam,Up-broke the fountains of the ocean stream,While a fierce earthquake thro' the centre ranged,Shattering the mountains in its might.—How vainWas then the strength of man, as poor his pride,To stem the onsweep of that ceaseless tide,Which desolation spread o'er mount and plain!Anguish and terror, madness and despair,Took hold on all, before they perished there!A towering rock, whose shadow in past daysWas hailed by weary ones a place of rest,Affords brief shelter on its shelving breastTo struggling sufferers crowding from all ways,Trampling their fellows down for life, sweet life!Alas! theJudgment'son them, they as wellMight build their hopes on sand, as stay the swellOf the full flood and elemental strife.Yet has not God forgotten all his loveTo sinful men, theArmthey madly brave"Though strong to smite is also strong to save"—The ark floats high a buried world above!While o'er a lifeless pair, to Heaven still dear,A kneeling Angel drops a pitying tear!(7)
Wegaze in awe upon the solemn scene,With sense and soul absorbed, as if the sightWere tranced in that o'erpowering vengeful lightWhich shrouds the setting sun; and what has beenA world is now a waste of waters, higherAnd darker swells the flood, like one vast pallThrown o'er the guilty ones of earth, Heaven's ireWho braved ere-while.—How fearful, how sublime,How terrible the sight!—widely they climb,To rock and mountain top to 'scape their doom,While rushing torrents, dome and palace hall,The work of man with man himself, consume;Nor these alone! Rock, cliff, and mountain grey,God's handiwork, become with man, their prey!How vast the guilt that thus could doom a worldSo beautiful as ours was ere man sinned,—The waters sweeping, like a mighty wind,To whelm the earth, from its foundations hurled;All nature stood aghast, its course was changed—A comet threw afar its lurid gleam,Up-broke the fountains of the ocean stream,While a fierce earthquake thro' the centre ranged,Shattering the mountains in its might.—How vainWas then the strength of man, as poor his pride,To stem the onsweep of that ceaseless tide,Which desolation spread o'er mount and plain!Anguish and terror, madness and despair,Took hold on all, before they perished there!A towering rock, whose shadow in past daysWas hailed by weary ones a place of rest,Affords brief shelter on its shelving breastTo struggling sufferers crowding from all ways,Trampling their fellows down for life, sweet life!Alas! theJudgment'son them, they as wellMight build their hopes on sand, as stay the swellOf the full flood and elemental strife.Yet has not God forgotten all his loveTo sinful men, theArmthey madly brave"Though strong to smite is also strong to save"—The ark floats high a buried world above!While o'er a lifeless pair, to Heaven still dear,A kneeling Angel drops a pitying tear!(7)
Wegaze in awe upon the solemn scene,With sense and soul absorbed, as if the sightWere tranced in that o'erpowering vengeful lightWhich shrouds the setting sun; and what has beenA world is now a waste of waters, higherAnd darker swells the flood, like one vast pallThrown o'er the guilty ones of earth, Heaven's ireWho braved ere-while.—How fearful, how sublime,How terrible the sight!—widely they climb,To rock and mountain top to 'scape their doom,While rushing torrents, dome and palace hall,The work of man with man himself, consume;Nor these alone! Rock, cliff, and mountain grey,God's handiwork, become with man, their prey!
Wegaze in awe upon the solemn scene,
With sense and soul absorbed, as if the sight
Were tranced in that o'erpowering vengeful light
Which shrouds the setting sun; and what has been
A world is now a waste of waters, higher
And darker swells the flood, like one vast pall
Thrown o'er the guilty ones of earth, Heaven's ire
Who braved ere-while.—How fearful, how sublime,
How terrible the sight!—widely they climb,
To rock and mountain top to 'scape their doom,
While rushing torrents, dome and palace hall,
The work of man with man himself, consume;
Nor these alone! Rock, cliff, and mountain grey,
God's handiwork, become with man, their prey!
How vast the guilt that thus could doom a worldSo beautiful as ours was ere man sinned,—The waters sweeping, like a mighty wind,To whelm the earth, from its foundations hurled;All nature stood aghast, its course was changed—A comet threw afar its lurid gleam,Up-broke the fountains of the ocean stream,While a fierce earthquake thro' the centre ranged,Shattering the mountains in its might.—How vainWas then the strength of man, as poor his pride,To stem the onsweep of that ceaseless tide,Which desolation spread o'er mount and plain!Anguish and terror, madness and despair,Took hold on all, before they perished there!
How vast the guilt that thus could doom a world
So beautiful as ours was ere man sinned,—
The waters sweeping, like a mighty wind,
To whelm the earth, from its foundations hurled;
All nature stood aghast, its course was changed—
A comet threw afar its lurid gleam,
Up-broke the fountains of the ocean stream,
While a fierce earthquake thro' the centre ranged,
Shattering the mountains in its might.—How vain
Was then the strength of man, as poor his pride,
To stem the onsweep of that ceaseless tide,
Which desolation spread o'er mount and plain!
Anguish and terror, madness and despair,
Took hold on all, before they perished there!
A towering rock, whose shadow in past daysWas hailed by weary ones a place of rest,Affords brief shelter on its shelving breastTo struggling sufferers crowding from all ways,Trampling their fellows down for life, sweet life!Alas! theJudgment'son them, they as wellMight build their hopes on sand, as stay the swellOf the full flood and elemental strife.Yet has not God forgotten all his loveTo sinful men, theArmthey madly brave"Though strong to smite is also strong to save"—The ark floats high a buried world above!While o'er a lifeless pair, to Heaven still dear,A kneeling Angel drops a pitying tear!(7)
A towering rock, whose shadow in past days
Was hailed by weary ones a place of rest,
Affords brief shelter on its shelving breast
To struggling sufferers crowding from all ways,
Trampling their fellows down for life, sweet life!
Alas! theJudgment'son them, they as well
Might build their hopes on sand, as stay the swell
Of the full flood and elemental strife.
Yet has not God forgotten all his love
To sinful men, theArmthey madly brave
"Though strong to smite is also strong to save"—
The ark floats high a buried world above!
While o'er a lifeless pair, to Heaven still dear,
A kneeling Angel drops a pitying tear!(7)