Saturn and Love their long repose

Shall burst, more bright and good
Than all who fell, than One who rose,
Than many unsubdued;

Not gold, not blood, their altar dowers,
But votive tears and symbol flowers.

Oh, cease! must hate and death return?
Cease! must men kill and die?
Cease! drain not to its dregs the urn
Of bitter prophecy.

The world is weary of the past,

Oh, might it die or rest at last!

1091-93 more bright . . . unsubdued, Shelley n. d. || omit, Shelley, 1822; bright || wise, Galignani, 1829; unsubdued || unwithstood, Galignani, 1829.

MISCELLANEOUS POEMS

The Miscellaneous Poems with some exceptions were published either by Shelley, in his successive volumes, or by Mrs. Shelley, in Posthumous Poems, 1824, and the two editions of 1839. A few first appeared elsewhere, and were included in the collected editions, and still others have from time to time found their way to the public. The original issue of each poem is stated, in this edition, in the footnotes. Manuscripts of several, either in Shelley's or Mrs. Shelley's hand, are in existence, and either establish the text or afford variations. The history of each poem, if known, is given in the NOTES.

EARLY POEMS

1813-1815

EVENING

TO HARRIET

O THOU bright Sun! beneath the dark blue line
Of western distance that sublime descendest,
And, gleaming lovelier as thy beams decline,
Thy million hues to every vapor lendest,
And, over cobweb lawn and grove and stream
Sheddest the liquid magic of thy light,

Till calm Earth, with the parting splendor bright,

Shows like the vision of a beauteous dream; What gazer now with astronomic eye

Could coldly count the spots within thy sphere? Such were thy lover, Harriet, could he fly The thoughts of all that makes his passion dear, And, turning senseless from thy warm caress, Pick flaws in our close-woven happiness.

Evening. To Harriet. Published by Dowden, Life of Shelley, 1887. Composed July 31, 1813.