PART V. SELECTIONS OF PROSE AND POETRY. FORTY YEARS AGO. I've wandered to the village, Tom, Upon the school-house playing-ground, But none were left to greet me, Tom, Who played with us upon the green The grass was just as green, Tom, Were sporting just as we did then, But master sleeps upon the hill, Afforded us a sliding-place Some forty years ago. The old school-house is altered some, By new ones, very like the same Our jack-knives had defaced; But the same old bricks are in the wall, And the bell swings to and fro, Its music's just the same, dear Tom, The boys were playing some old games I do forget the name just now- On that same spot; 'twas played with knives By throwing so and so; The loser had a task to do There forty years ago. The river's running just as still, Are larger than they were, Tom; The spring that bubbled 'neath the hill, Is very low; 'twas once so high And kneeling down to take a drink, To think how very much I've changed Near by the spring upon an elm, You know I cut your name, Your sweatheart's just beneath it, Tom, And you did mine the same. Some heartless wretch had peeled the bark; 'Twas dying sure but slow, Just as she died whose name you cut There forty years ago. My lids have long been dry, Tom, And took some flowers to strew Some are in the church-yard laid, And when our time shall come, Tom, I hope we'll meet with those we loved Some forty years ago. ANNABEL LEE. It was many and many a year ago, In a kingdom by the sea, That a maiden there lived, whom you may know And this maiden she lived with no other thought I was a child, and she was a child, In this kingdom by the sea; But we loved with a love that was more than love, With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven And this was the reason that, long ago, In this kingdom by the sea, A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling So that her high-born kinsmen came To shut her up in a sepulchre The angels, not half so happy in heaven, Went envying her and me, Yes! that was the reason (as all men know, In this kingdom by the sea) That the wind came out of the cloud by night, Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee. But our love it was stronger by far than the love Of many far wiser than we; And neither the angels in heaven above, Can ever dissever my soul from the soul For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams Of the beautiful Annabel Lee, And the stars never rise, but I feel the bright eyes Of the beautiful Annabel Lee; And so all the night-time, I lie down by the side Of my darling-my darling-my life and my bride, In the sepulchre there by the sea, In her tomb by the sounding sea. -Edgar A. Poe. |