8:50 pm |
The Lake -- To --
IN spring of youth it was my lot
To haunt of the wide earth a spot
The which I could not love the less --
So lovely was the loneliness
Of a wild lake, with black rock bound,
And the tall pines that tower'd around.
But when the Night had thrown her pall
Upon that spot, as upon all,
And the mystic wind went by
Murmuring in melody --
Then -- ah then I would awake
To the terror of the lone lake.
Yet that terror was not fright,
But a tremulous delight --
A feeling not the jewelled mine
Could teach or bribe me to define --
Nor Love -- although the Love were thine.
Death was in that poisonous wave,
And in its gulf a fitting grave
For him who thence could solace bring
To his lone imagining --
Whose solitary soul could make
An Eden of that dim lake.
~ Edgar Allan Poe
Sorry I didn't quite make the hour I was shooting hand held and the photos at 9 pm had camera shake.
L'heure bleue - exquisite colourings.
ReplyDeleteI don't quite understand how a solitary soul can make an Eden of the lake. However, I did sense the 'tremulous delight'.
ReplyDeleteThis has been a wonderful series, Joan. I especially appreciated the choice of poetry to accompany each poem.
Ah, solitude! Interesting how an author with such ability to send shivers down the spine can write such beautiful melancholia!
ReplyDeletePreparing this series was such fun ... not only was I excited to find a way to make the endless pretty lake images work but to select the poems. So lovely to be on holidays and having the luxury of time to do so.
ReplyDeleteOh to think that a couple of years ago I managed to add a poem to every post!
Perfect shot to end this beautiful series.
ReplyDelete