'I WANDERED LONELY.' I wandered lonely as a cloud That floats on high o'er vales and hills, Continuous as the stars that shine Ten thousand saw I at a glance, Tossing their heads in sprightly dance. The waves beside them danced; but they In such a jocund company: I gazed—and gazed—but little thought What wealth the show to me had brought: For oft, when on my couch I ́lie (1804.) ODE TO DUTY. Stern Daughter of the Voice of God! When empty terrors overawe; From vain temptations dost set free; And calm'st the weary strife of frail humanity! There are who ask not if thine eye Be on them; who, in love and truth, Upon the genial sense of youth : Glad Hearts! without reproach or blot; Who do thy work, and know it not: Oh! if through confidence misplaced They fail, thy saving arms, dread Power! around them cast. Serene will be our days and bright, And happy will our nature be, When love is an unerring light, And they a blissful course may hold Yet seek thy firm support, according to their need. I, loving freedom, and untried; Too blindly have reposed my trust: The task, in smoother walks to stray; But thee I now would serve more strictly if I may. Through no disturbance of my soul, But in the quietness of thought: Me this unchartered freedom tires; I feel the weight of chance-desires: My hopes no more must change their name, Stern Lawgiver! yet thou dost wear Flowers laugh before thee on their beds And fragrance in thy footing treads ; Thou dost preserve the stars from wrong; And the most ancient heavens, through Thee, are fresh and strong. To humbler functions, awful Power! And in the light of truth thy Bondman let me live! (1805.) THE NIGHTINGALE. O Nightingale! thou surely art These notes of thine-they pierce and pierce ; Thou sing'st as if the God of wine I heard a Stock-dove sing or say (1806.) THE MOUNTAIN ECHO. Yes, it was the mountain Echo, Answering to the shouting Cuckoo, Unsolicited reply To a babbling wanderer sent; Hears not also mortal Life? Hear not we, unthinking Creatures! Have not we too?-yes, we have Such rebounds our inward ear (1806.) ODE. INTIMATIONS OF IMMORTALITY FROM RECOLLECTIONS OF The Child is father of the Man; Bound each to each by natural piety, I. There was a time when meadow, grove, and stream, To me did seem Apparelled in celestial light, The glory and the freshness of a dream. By night or day, The things which I have seen I now can see no more. 2. The Rainbow comes and goes, And lovely is the Rose, The Moon doth with delight Look round her when the heavens are bare, Waters on a starry night Are beautiful and fair; The sunshine is a glorious birth; But yet I know, where'er I go, That there hath past away a glory from the earth. 3. Now, while the birds thus sing a joyous song, As to the tabor's sound, To me alone there came a thought of grief: |