The complete poetical works and letters of John Keats/On seeing a Lock of Milton's Hair
ON SEEING A LOCK OF MILTON'S HAIR
'I was at Hunt's the other day,' writes Keats to Bailey, January 23, 1818, 'and he surprised me with a real authenticated lock of Milton's Hair. I know you would like what I wrote thereon, so here it is—as they say of a sheep in a Nursery Book.' 'This I did,' he adds, after copying the lines, 'at Hunt's at his request—perhaps I should have done something better alone and at home.' Lord Houghton printed the verse in Life, Letters and Literary Remains.
Chief of organic numbers!
Old Scholar of the Spheres!
Thy spirit never slumbers,
But rolls about our ears,
For ever and for ever!
O what a mad endeavour
Worketh he,
Who to thy sacred and ennobled hearse
Would offer a burnt sacrifice of verse
And melody.
How heavenward thou soundest,
Live Temple of sweet noise,
And Discord unconfoundest,
Giving Delight new joys,
And Pleasure nobler pinions!
O, where are thy dominions?
Lend thine ear
To a young Delian oath,—ay, by thy soul,
By all that from thy mortal lips did roll,
And by the kernel of thine earthly love,
Beauty, in things on earth, and things above,
I swear!
When every childish fashion
Has vanish'd from my rhyme,
Will I, grey-gone in passion,
Leave to an after-time,
Hymning and harmony
Of thee, and of thy works, and of thy life;
But vain is now the burning and the strife,
Pangs are in vain, until I grow high-rife
With old Philosophy,
And mad with glimpses of futurity!
For many years my offering must be hush'd;
When I do speak, I 'll think upon this hour,
Because I feel my forehead hot and flush'd.
Even at the simplest vassal of thy power,—
A lock of thy bright hair—
Sudden it came,
And I was startled, when I caught thy name
Coupled so unaware;
Yet, at the moment, temperate was my blood.
I thought I had beheld it from the flood.