BETA

An Autumn Vision.

October 31, 1889.

By Algernon Charles Swinburne.

I.

Is it Midsummer here in the heavens that illumine October on earth ?1
Can the year, when his heart is fulfilled with desire of the days of his mirth,2
Redeem them, recall, or remember ?3
For a memory recalling the rapture of earth, and redeeming the sky,4
Shines down from the heights to the depths : will the watchword of dawn be July5
When to-morrow acclaims November ?6
The stern salutation of sorrow to death or repentance to shame7
Was all that the season was wont to accord her of grace or acclaim ;8
No lightnings of love and of laughter.9
But here, in the laugh of the loud west wind from around and above,10
In the flash of the waters beneath him, what sound or what light but of love11
Rings round him or leaps forth after ?12

II.

Wind beloved of earth and sky and sea beyond all winds that blow,13
Wind whose might in fight was England’s on her mightiest warrior day,14
South-west wind, whose breath for her was life, and fire to scourge her foe,15
Steel to smite and death to drive him down an unreturning way,16
Well-beloved and welcome, sounding all the clarions of the sky,17
Rolling all the marshalled waters toward the charge that storms the shore,18
We receive, acclaim, salute thee, we who live and dream and die,19
As the mightiest mouth of song that ever spake acclaimed of yore.20
We that live as they that perish praise thee, lord of cloud and wave,21
Wind of winds, clothed on with darkness whence as lightning light comes forth,22
We that know thee strong to guard and smite, to scatter and to save,23
We to whom the south-west wind is dear as Athens held the north.24
He for her waged war as thou for us against all powers defiant,25
Fleets full-fraught with storm from Persia, laden deep with death from Spain :26
Thee the giant god of song and battle hailed as god and giant,27
Yet not his but ours the land is whence thy praise should ring and rain ;28
Rain as rapture shed from song, and ring as trumpets blown for battle,29
Sound and sing before thee, loud and glad as leaps and sinks the sea :30
Yea, the sea’s white steeds are curbed and spurred of thee, and pent as cattle,31
Yet they laugh with love and pride to live, subdued not save of thee.32
Ears that hear thee hear in heaven the sound of widening wings gigantic,33
Eyes that see the cloud-lift westward see thy darkening brows divine ;34
Wings whose measure is the limit of the limitless Atlantic,35
Brows that bend, and bid the sovereign sea submit her soul to thine.36

III.

Twelve days since is it—twelve days gone,37
Lord of storm, that a storm-bow shone38
Higher than sweeps thy sublime dark wing,39
Fair as dawn is and sweet like spring ?40
Never dawn in the deep wide east41
Spread so splendid and strange a feast,42
Whence the soul as it drank and fed43
Felt such rapture of wonder shed.44
Never spring in the wild wood’s heart45
Felt such flowers at her footfall start,46
Born of earth, as arose on sight47
Born of heaven and of storm and light.48
Stern and sullen, the grey grim sea49
Swelled and strove as in toils, though free,50
Free as heaven, and as heaven sublime,51
Clear as heaven of the toils of time.52

IV.

Suddenly, sheer from the heights to the depths of the sky and the sea,53
Sprang from the darkness alive as a vision of life to be54
Glory triune and transcendent of colour afar and afire,55
Arching and darkening the darkness with light as of dream or desire.56
Heaven, in the depth of its height, shone wistful and wan from above :57
Earth from beneath, and the sea, shone stricken and breathless with love.58
As a shadow may shine, so shone they ; as ghosts of the viewless blest,59
That sleep hath sight of alive in a rapture of sunbright rest,60
The green earth glowed and the grey sky gleamed for a wondrous while ;61
And the storm’s full frown was crossed by the light of its own deep smile.62
As the darkness of thought and of passion is touched by the light that gives63
Life deathless as love from the depth of a spirit that sees and lives,64
From the soul of a seer and a singer, wherein as a scroll unfurled65
Lies open the scripture of light and of darkness, the word of the world,66
So, shapeless and measureless, lurid as anguish and haggard as crime,67
Pale as the front of oblivion and dark as the heart of time,68
The wild wan heaven at its height was assailed and subdued and made69
More fair than the skies that know not of storm and endure not shade.70
The grim sea-swell, grey, sleepless, and sad as a soul estranged,71
Shone, smiled, took heart, and was glad of its wrath : and the world’s face changed.72

V.

Up from moorlands northward gleaming73
Even to heaven’s transcendent height,74
Clothed with massive cloud, and seeming75
All one fortress reared of night,76
Down to where the deep sea, dreaming77
Angry dreams, lay dark and white,78
White as death and dark as fate,79
Heaving with the strong wind’s weight,80
Sad with stormy pride of state,81
One full rainbow shone elate.82
Up from inmost memory’s dwelling83
Where the light of life abides,84
Where the past finds tongue, foretelling85
Time that comes and grace that guides,86
Power that saves and sways, compelling87
Souls that ebb and flow like tides,88
Shone or seemed to shine and swim89
Through the cloud-surf great and grim,90
Thought’s live surge, the soul of him91
By whose light the sun looks dim.92
In what synod were they sitting,93
All the gods and lords of time,94
Whence they watched as fen-fires flitting95
Years and names of men sublime,96
When their counsels found it fitting97
One should stand where none might climb—98
None of man begotten, none99
Born of men beneath the sun100
Till the race of time be run,101
Save this heaven-enfranchised one ?102
With what rapture of creation103
Was the soul supernal thrilled,104
With what pride of adoration105
Was the world’s heart fired and filled,106
Heaved in heavenward exaltation107
Higher than hopes or dreams might build,108
Grave with awe not known while he109
Was not, mad with glorious glee110
As the sun-saluted sea,111
When his hour bade Shakespeare be ?112

VI.

There, clear as night beholds her crowning seven,113
The sea beheld his likeness set in heaven.114
The shadow of his spirit full in sight115
Shone : for the shadow of that soul is light.116
Nor heaven alone bore witness : earth avowed117
Him present, and acclaimed of storm aloud.118
From the arching sky to the ageless hills and sea119
The whole world, visible, audible, was he :120
Each part of all that wove that wondrous whole121
The raiment of the presence of his soul.122
The sun that smote and kissed the dark to death123
Spake, smiled, and strove, like song’s triumphant breath ;124
The soundless cloud whose thunderous heart was dumb125
Swelled, lowered, and shrank to feel its conqueror come.126
Yet high from heaven its empire vast and vain127
Frowned, and renounced not night’s reluctant reign.128
The serpentine swift sounds and shapes wherein129
The stainless sea mocks earth and death and sin,130
Crawls dark as craft, or flashes keen as hate,131
Subdued and insubmissive, strong like fate132
And weak like man, bore wrathful witness yet133
That storms and sins are more than suns that set ;134
That evil everlasting, girt for strife135
Eternal, wars with hope as death with life.136
The dark sharp shifting wind that bade the waves137
Falter, lose heart, bow down like foes made slaves,138
And waxed within more bitter as they bowed,139
Baffling the sea, swallowing the sun with cloud,140
Devouring fast as fire on earth devours141
And hungering hard as frost that feeds on flowers,142
Clothed round with fog that reeked as fume from hell,143
And darkening with its miscreative spell144
Light, glad and keen and splendid as the sword145
Whose heft had known Othello’s hand its lord,146
Spake all the soul that hell drew back to greet147
And felt its fire shrink shuddering from his feet.148
Far off the darkness darkened, and recoiled,149
And neared again, and triumphed : and the coiled150
Colourless cloud and sea discoloured grew151
Conscious of horror huge as heaven, and knew152
Where Goneril’s soul made chill and foul the mist,153
And all the leprous life in Regan hissed.154
Fierce homeless ghosts, rejected of the pit,155
From hell to hell of storm fear watched them flit.156
About them and before, the dull grey gloom157
Shuddered, and heaven seemed hateful as the tomb158
That shrinks from resurrection ; and from out159
That sullen hell which girt their shades about160
The nether soul that lurks and lowers within161
Man, made of dust and fire and shame and sin,162
Breathed : all the cloud that felt it breathe and blight163
Was blue as plague or black as thunderous night.164
Elect of hell, the children of his hate165
Thronged, as to storm sweet heaven’s triumphal gate.166
The terror of his giving rose and shone167
Imminent : life had put its likeness on.168
But higher than all its horrent height of shade169
Shone sovereign, seen by light itself had made,170
Above the woes of all the world, above171
Life, sin, and death, his myriad-minded love.172
From landward heights whereon the radiance leant173
Full-fraught from heaven, intense and imminent,174
To depths wherein the seething strengths of cloud175
Scarce matched the wrath of waves whereon they bowed,176
From homeborn pride and kindling love of home177
To the outer skies and seas of fire and foam,178
From splendour soft as dew that sundawn thrills179
To gloom that shudders round the world it fills,180
From midnights murmuring round Titania’s ear181
To midnights maddening round the rage of Lear,182
The wonder woven of storm and sun became183
One with the light that lightens from his name.184
The music moving on the sea that felt185
The storm-wind even as snows of springtide melt186
Was blithe as Ariel’s hand or voice might make187
And bid all grief die gladly for its sake.188
And there the soul alive in ear and eye189
That watched the wonders of an hour pass by190
Saw brighter than all stars that heaven inspheres191
The silent splendour of Cordelia’s tears,192
Felt in the whispers of the quickening wind193
The radiance of the laugh of Rosalind,194
And heard, in sounds that melt the souls of men195
With love of love, the tune of Imogen.196

VII.

For the strong north-east is not strong to subdue and to slay the divine south-west,197
And the darkness is less than the light that it darkens, and dies in reluctant rest.198
It hovers and hangs on the labouring and trembling ascent of the dawn from the deep,199
Till the sun’s eye quicken the world and the waters, and smite it again into sleep.200
Night, holy and starry, the fostress of souls, with the fragrance of heaven in her breath,201
Subdues with the sense of her godhead the forces and mysteries of sorrow and death.202
Eternal as dawn’s is the comfort she gives : but the mist that beleaguers and slays203
Comes, passes, and is not : the strength of it withers, appalled or assuaged by the day’s.204
Faith, haggard as Fear that had borne her, and dark as the sire that begat her,
Despair,205
Held rule on the soul of the world and the song of it saddening through ages that
were ;206
Dim centuries that darkened and brightened and darkened again, and the soul of their
song207
Was great as their grief, and sublime as their suffering, and strong as their sorrows
were strong.208
It knew not, it saw not, but shadows triune, and evoked by the strength of their spell209
Dark hell, and the mountain of anguish, and heaven that was hollower and harder
than hell.210
These are not : the womb of the darkness that bare them rejects them, and knows
them no more :211
Thought, fettered in misery and iron, revives in the light that it lived in of yore.212
For the soul that is wisdom and freedom, the spirit of England redeemed from her past,213
Speaks life through the lips of the master and lord of her children, the first and the last.214
Thought, touched by his hand and redeemed by his breath, sees, hears, and accepts
from above215
The limitless lightnings of vision and passion, the measureless music of love.216