Dirge-Thomas Lovell Beddoes (1803-1849)

If thou wilt ease thine heart

Of love and all its smart,

Then sleep, dear sleep;

And not sorrow

Hang any tear on your eyelashes; 

Lie still and deep,

Sad soul, until the sea-wave washes

The rim o' the sun to-morrow,In eastern sky.

But wilt thou cure thine heart

Of lave and all its smart,

Then die dear die

"Tis deeper, sweeter,

Than on a rose bank to lie dreaming

With folded eye;

And then alone, amid the beaming

Of love's stars, thou'lt meet her

In eastern sky.

Song-Thomas Lovell Bedoes (1803-1849)

How many times do I love thee dear?

Tell me how many thoughts there be

In the atmosphere

Of a new-fall'n year,

Whose white and sable hours appear

The latest flake of Eternity:

So many times do I love thee dear.

How many times do I love again

Tell me how many beads there are

In a silver chain

Of evening rain,

Unravelled from the tumbling main,

And threading the eye of a yellow star:

So many times do I love again.

Dream-Pedlary-Thomas Lovell Beddoes (1803-1849)

If there were dreams to sell,

 What would you buy?

Some cost a passing bell;

Some a light sigh,

That shakes from Life's fresh crown

Only a rose-leaf down.

I there were dreams to sell,

Merry and sad to tell,

And the crier rang the bell,

What would you buy?

A cottage lone and still,

With bowers nigh,

Shadowy, my woes to still,

Until I die.

Such pearl from Life's fresh crown

Fain would I shake me down,

Were dreams to have at will,

This would best heal my ill,

This would I buy.

But there were dreams to sell,

Ill didst thou buy;

Life is a dream, they tell,

Waking, to die

Dreaming a dream to prize

Is wishing ghosts to rise;

And, if I had the spell

To call the buried well, 

Which one would I?

If  there are ghosts to raise,What shall I call,

Out of hell's murky haze,

Heavens blue pall?

Raise my loved long-lost boy

To lead me to his joy.There are no ghosts to raise;

Out of death lead no ways; 

Vain is the call.

Know'st thou not ghosts to sue?

No love thou hast.

Else lie, as I will do

And breath thy last.

So out of Life's fresh crown

Fall like a rose-leaf down

Thus are the ghosts to woo;

Thus all dreams made true

Ever to last!

A Voice From the Waters-Thomas Lovell Beddoes (1803-1849)

The swallow leaves her nest,

The soul my weary breast;

But therefore let the rain

On my grave

Fall pure; for why complain?

Since both will come again

O'er the wave.

The wind dead leaves and snow

Doth scurry to and fro

And, once, a day shall break

O'er the wave,

When a storm of ghosts shall shake

The dead, until they wake

In the grave.

Song From the Ship-Thomas Lovell Beddoes(1803-1849

To sea, to sea! The calm is o'er;

The wanton water leaps in sport,

 And rattles down the pebbly shore;

The dolphin wheels, the sea-cows snort,

And unseen mermaids pearly song

Comes bubbling up, and weeds among.

Fling broad the sail, dip deep the oar:

To sea, to sea! the calm is o'er.

To sea! our wide-winged bark

Shall billowy cleave its sunny way,

And with its shadow, fleet and dark,

Break the caved Tritions' azure day,

Like mighty eagle soaring light

O'er antelopes on Alpine height.

The anchor heaves, the ship swings free,

The sails swell full. To sea to sea!