Landon in The Literary Gazette 1826/Fragment 2

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For works with similar titles, see Fragment (Letitia Elizabeth Landon).
2280321Landon in The Literary Gazette 1826Fragment II.—No more, no more, why should I dream1826Letitia Elizabeth Landon

II.

No more, no more, why should I dream
    Dreams that I know are vain?
Why trust the future, when the past
    I would not live again?

Affection,—'tis the glittering wealth
    Of snow-work in the sun;
Pleasure,—the rocket's shining course,
    Ended ere well begun.

Hope, the false music, luring where
    The syren Sorrow dwells;
And Praise a very mockery,
    The chime of the fool's bells.

And yet, alas! for the fond time
    When I believed all this,—
Although 'twas nothing but a dream,
    At least the dream was bliss.

The heart is like those fairy rings,
    Where all of green has died;
Yet there, they say, the fairy race
    By moonlight wont to ride.

We hold to that gay creed no more—
    Gone is the elfin reign;
Yet, surely, such fair visions fled
    Is more of loss than gain.

But thus it is, as years pass on,
    Even with our own heart;
We see the visions, one by one,
    Of early youth depart.

We gaze around—all is the same
    O'er which our young eye ranged;
But—sorrow for the heart and eye!—
    Ourselves, ourselves are changed.
L. E. L.