The Miscellaneous Poetical Works Author:Letitia Elizabeth Landon General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1835 Original Publisher: Saunders and Otley Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you ... more »can select from more than a million books for free. Excerpt: CLASSICAL SKETCHES. SAPPHO. - - - - She was one Whose lyre the spirit of sweet song had hung With myrtle and with laurel; on whose head Genius had shed his starry glories - - - " - - - transcripts of woman's loving heart And woman's disappointment." She leant upon her harp, and thousands looked On her in love and wonder -- thousands knelt And worshipp'd in her presence -- burning tears, And words that died in utterance, and a pause Of breathless, agitated eagerness, First gave the full heart's homage: then came forth A shout that rose to heaven; and the hills, The distant valleys, all rang with the name Of the yEolian Sappho -- every heart Found in itself some echo to her song. Low notes of love -- hopes beautiful and fresh, And some gone by for ever -- glorious dreams, High aspirations, those thrice gentle thoughts- That dwell upon the absent and the dead, Were breathing in her music -- and these are Chords every bosom vibrates to. But she Upon whose brow the laurel crown is placed, Her colour's varying with deep emotion -- There is a softer blush than conscious pride Upon her cheek, and in that tremulous smile Is all a woman's timid tenderness: Her eye is on a Youth, and other days And young warm feelings have rushed on her soul With all their former influence, -- thoughts that slept Cold, calm as death, have wakened to new life -- Whole years' existence have passed in that glance... She had once loved in very early days: That was a thing gone by: one had called forth The music of her soul: he loved...« less