A PRETTIER BOOK.
187
A peasant, seeking bitter bread
From the unwilling earth to wring,
Is in my book; the wine is red,
There in my brother's, for the king.
From the unwilling earth to wring,
Is in my book; the wine is red,
There in my brother's, for the king.
A wedding, where each wedding-guest
Has wedding garments on, in his,—
In mine one face in awful rest,
One coffin never shut, there is!
Has wedding garments on, in his,—
In mine one face in awful rest,
One coffin never shut, there is!
In his, on many a bridge of beams
Between the faint moon and the grass,
Dressed daintily in dews and dreams,
The fleet midsummer fairies pass;
Between the faint moon and the grass,
Dressed daintily in dews and dreams,
The fleet midsummer fairies pass;
In mine unearthly mountains rise,
Unearthly waters foam and roll,
And—stared at by its deathless eyes—
The master sells the fiend a soul!
Unearthly waters foam and roll,
And—stared at by its deathless eyes—
The master sells the fiend a soul!
. . . Put out the lights. We will not look
At pictures any more. We weep,
"My brother has a prettier book,"
And, after tears, we go to sleep.
At pictures any more. We weep,
"My brother has a prettier book,"
And, after tears, we go to sleep.
