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New poems and variant readings

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New Poems and Variant Readings (1918)
by Robert Louis Stevenson
1923905New Poems and Variant Readings1918Robert Louis Stevenson

New Poems
AND VARIANT READINGS
BY
ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON

LONDON
CHATTO & WINDUS


First published . November 25th, 1918.
Reprinted . . . . . November 27th, 1918.

All rights reserved


PREFACE

All Stevensonians owe a debt of gratitude to the Bibliophile Society of Boston for having discovered the following poems and given them light in a privately printed edition, thus making them known, in fact, to the world at large. Otherwise they would have remained scattered and hidden indefinitely in the hands of various collectors. They will be found extraordinarily interesting in their self-revelation, and some, indeed, are so intimate and personal that one understands why Stevenson withheld them from all eyes save his own. The love-poems in particular, though they are of very unequal merit, possess in common a really affecting sincerity. That Stevenson should have preserved these poems through all the vicissitudes of his wandering life shows how dearly he must have valued them; and shows, too, I think, beyond any contradiction, that he meant they should be ultimately published.

LLOYD OSBOURNE.


CONTENTS

PAGE
PRAYER 1
LO! IN THINE HONEST EYES I READ 2
THOUGH DEEP INDIFFERENCE SHOULD DROWSE 2
MY HEART, WHEN FIRST THE BLACKBIRD SINGS 3
I DREAMED OF FOREST ALLEYS FAIR 4
ST. MARTIN'S SUMMER 6
DEDICATION 7
THE OLD CHIMÆRAS, OLD RECEIPTS 8
PRELUDE 10
THE VANQUISHED KNIGHT 11
TO THE COMMISSIONERS OF NORTHERN LIGHTS 11
THE RELIC TAKEN, WHAT AVAILS THE SHRINE? 13
ABOUT THE SHELTERED GARDEN GROUND 14
AFTER READING "ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA" 15
I KNOW NOT HOW, BUT AS I COUNT 15
SPRING SONG 16
THE SUMMER SUN SHONE ROUND ME 16
YOU LOOKED SO TEMPTING IN THE PEW 17
LOVE'S VICISSITUDES 18
DUDDINGSTONE 18
STOUT MARCHES LEAD TO CERTAIN ENDS 20
AWAY WITH FUNERAL MUSIC 20
TO SYDNEY 21
HAD I THE POWER THAT HAD THE WILL 23
O DULL COLD NORTHERN SKY 24
APOLOGETIC POSTSCRIPT OF A YEAR LATER 25
TO MARCUS 26
TO OTTILIE 27
THIS GLOOMY NORTHERN DAY 28
THE WIND IS WITHOUT THERE AND HOWLS IN THE TREES 29
A VALENTINE'S SONG 31
HAIL! CHILDISH SLAVES OF SOCIAL RULES 34
SWALLOWS TRAVEL TO AND FRO 36
TO MESDAMES ZASSETSKY AND GARSCHINE 37
TO MADAME GARSCHINE 39
MUSIC AT THE VILLA MARINA 39
FEAR NOT, DEAR FRIEND, BUT FREELY LIVE YOUR DAYS 40
LET LOVE GO, IF GO SHE WILL 41
I DO NOT FEAR TO OWN ME KIN 42
I AM LIKE ONE THAT FOR LONG DAYS HAD SATE 44
VOLUNTARY 45
ON NOW, ALTHOUGH THE YEAR BE DONE 47
IN THE GREEN AND GALLANT SPRING 47
DEATH, TO THE DEAD FOR EVERMORE 48
TO CHARLES BAXTER 49
I WHO ALL THE WINTER THROUGH 52
LOVE, WHAT IS LOVE? 53
SOON OUR FRIENDS PERISH 53
AS ONE WHO HAVING WANDERED ALL NIGHT LONG 53
STRANGE ARE THE WAYS OF MEN 55
THE WIND BLEW SHRILL AND SMART 56
MAN SAILS THE DEEP AWHILE 57
THE COCK'S CLEAR VOICE INTO THE CLEARER AIR 58
NOW WHEN THE NUMBER OF MY YEARS 59
WHAT MAN MAY LEARN, WHAT MAN MAY DO 60
SMALL IS THE TRUST WHEN LOVE IS GREEN 61
KNOW YOU THE RIVER NEAR TO GREZ 62
IT'S FORTH ACROSS THE ROARING FOAM 63
AN ENGLISH BREEZE 65
AS IN THEIR FLIGHT THE BIRDS OF SONG 66
THE PIPER 67
TO MRS. MACMARLAND 68
TO MISS CORNISH 69
TALES OF ARABIA 71
BEHOLD, AS GOBLINS DARK OF MIEN 72
STILL I LOVE TO RHYME 73
LONG TIME I LAY IN LITTLE EASE 74
FLOWER GOD, GOD OF THE SPRING 75
COME, MY BELOVED, HEAR FROM ME 76
SINCE YEARS AGO FOR EVERMORE 77
ENVOY FOR "A CHILD'S GARDEN OF VERSES" 78
FOR RICHMOND'S GARDEN WALL 80
HAIL, GUEST, AND ENTER FREELY! 80
LO, NOW, MY GUEST 81
SO LIVE, SO LOVE, SO USE THAT FRAGILE HOUR 81
AD SE IPSUM 82
BEFORE THIS LITTLE GIFT WAS COME 82
GO, LITTLE BOOK—THE ANCIENT PHRASE 83
MY LOVE WAS WARM 84
DEDICATORY POEM FOR "UNDERWOODS" 85
FAREWELL 86
THE FAR-FARERS 87
COME, MY LITTLE CHILDREN, HERE ARE SONGS FOR YOU 87
HOME FROM THE DAISIED MEADOWS 88
EARLY IN THE MORNING I HEAR ON YOUR PIANO 88
FAIR ISLE AT SEA 89
LOUD AND LOW IN THE CHIMNEY 89
I LOVE TO BE WARM BY THE RED FIRESIDE 90
AT LAST SHE COMES 90
MINE EYES WERE SWIFT TO KNOW THEE 90
FIXED IS THE DOOM 91
MEN ARE HEAVEN'S PIERS 92
THE ANGLER ROSE, HE TOOK HIS ROD 93
SPRING CAROL 94
TO WHAT SHALL I COMPARE HER 95
WHEN THE SUN COMES AFTER RAIN 96
LATE, O MILLER 97
TO FRIENDS AT HOME 97
I, WHOM APOLLO SOMETIME VISITED 98
TEMPEST TOSSED AND SORE AFFLICTED 98
VARIANT FORM OF THE PRECEDING POEM 99
I NOW, O FRIEND, WHOM NOISELESSLY THE SNOWS 100
SINCE THOU HAST GIVEN ME THIS GOOD HOPE, O GOD 103
GOD GAVE TO ME A CHILD IN PART 104
OVER THE LAND IS APRIL 105
LIGHT AS THE LINNET ON MY WAY I START 106
COME, HERE IS ADIEU TO THE CITY 106
IT BLOWS A SNOWING GALE 107
NE SIT ANCILLÆ TIBI AMOR PUDOR 107
TO ALL THAT LOVE THE FAR AND BLUE 108
THOU STRAINEST THROUGH THE MOUNTAIN FERN 110
TO ROSABELLE 111
NOW BARE TO THE BEHOLDER'S EYE 112
THE BOUR-TREE DEN 114
SONNETS 118
FRAGMENTS 123
AIR OF DIABELLI'S 128
EPITAPHIUM EROTII 132
DE M. ANTONIO 133
AD MAGISTRUM LUDI 133
AD NEPOTEM 134
IN CHARIDEMUM 135
DE LIGURRA 135
IN LUPUM 136
AD QUINTILIANUM 137
DE HORTIS JULII MARTIALIS 137
AD MARTIALEM 139
IN MAXIMUM 139
AD OLUM 140
DE CŒNATIONE MICÆ 140
DE EROTIO PUELLA 141
AD PISCATOREM 141