1821.] 



News from Puniassii.'i.. .No. J'l. 



ttelievB that we shall render a service 

 to our readers, by presenting ihsm with 

 au analysis of (he v.ork. 



" Contemplati'ju" is (he. first poem 

 5n the collection, and has, therefore, 

 piven its name to the publication, al- 

 though it occupies only a small portion 

 of tlie volume. It contains much vivid 

 description, but the measure appears 

 too rapid for the solemnity of the sub- 

 jects, it is divided, in the modern 

 manner, into tweaty-seven portions, 

 oacli of which, as a separate poem, will 

 tie read with pleasure ; but, taken to- 

 i^ther, thoy have no connecting thread 

 'to assist the memory, and, cousequeudy 

 ■••' the curiosity is not excited by sus- 

 i^nse or expectation." Thepoemopens 

 "ti'ith the following star. zas: 



Nyraph with musing, heaven-ward eye, 

 i\Iild as Autumn's evening- sky ; 

 On whose clieek the faded rose 

 Has left a tint that faintly glows j 

 Lips to gentle accents given ; 

 Wandering thoughts that rest onheavenj 

 Banished aye from Folly's bowers ; 

 Scorned in Pleasure's rosy hours ; 

 Haonting oft the Hermit's cell, 

 Shady gi-ove, and rocky dell ; 

 \\'ooing Morning's orient beam. 

 Watching tv.ilight's purple gleam, 

 Where the birch nods o'er the rill. 

 That bubbling leaves the heath-clad 



hill ; 

 Contemplation, let thy smile 

 Banish Care, and Grief beguile ; 

 Though no mirthful joys are thine, 

 Be thy tranquil musings mine : 

 Behold, where pensive, kneeling at thy 



fane, 

 An humble votaj-y pours the heartfelt 



strain ! 



II. 

 Erst, in life's delightful spring. 

 Blithe 1 joined the sportive ring : 

 When the evening sun serene. 

 Wooed me to the village green ; 

 Softly stole the passing hour ; 

 Sweetly breathed each blossomed flower ; 

 Brighter glowed the western sky ; 

 Gladness beamed in every eye. 

 Lightly then the turf I trod, 

 Brushed the daisy-dappled sod ; 

 Mingling with the rustic throng, 

 Listening to the Doric song ; 

 Cheerful age, and jocund youth, 

 Rural mirth, aud artless truth ; 

 Buxom health, and labour gny, 

 Beauty fair, and sweet as May ; 

 All delighted, all combined, 

 .Joined to chcar the vacant mind : 

 Calm Content was ever there ; 

 Hope that sketched the future fair ; 

 While bright iu Fancy's vista, opening far, 

 The meteor Pleasure wEcmed a rolling star. 



423 



Changed these sunny sprighlly days ; 

 Vanished Fancy's fairy blaze; 

 Now the witching dream is o'er ; 

 Hope's gay visions seem no more ; 

 Pleasure's meteor light decayed, 

 Sinking in oblivion's shade. 



The scenery described in this poem 

 is real, not imaginary. The reader 

 who has wandered along the wild 

 .shores, in the neisrhljonrhood of Aber- 

 brothick in Scotland, or mused amid 

 the romantic ruins of its venerable Ab- 

 bey, will acknowledge the pictures to 

 be true to nature. He will remember 

 tlie very spot 



V/here the gray cliff" rises steep. 

 Rudely frowning o'er the de?p ; 

 Seated 'midst its mosses hoar, 

 AVhile the sullen surges roar, 

 And the sea-birds flutter by, 

 Screaming wild, wth ceaseless cry, 

 Or, triumphant, proudly ride, 'ooy.' 

 Rising on the rolling tide ; ' 'J^' 



Echo from her pebbly cave, "'"'i 



Answering to each murmuriag wavey^ 

 While afar, on Ocean's breast, 

 Small, as sky-lark o'er her nest, 

 Seems the sail in distant view, 

 TiU it fade in ether blue ; 

 There, I'll own thy sacred sway, r ,>'j 

 And muse my anxious cares way. 



Haply night, in sable vest, J 



Curtains o'er the crimsoned west ; I 

 Hill and dale, earth, sea, and sky >A^ 

 Blending, deep in darkness lie ; ,rfj 

 All the pleasing prospect round, r )<, 

 Plunged in midnight gloom profouuAj^, 

 Save where shines, at distance far, yff 

 Bright as vesper's beamy star, _ 



A cheering ray, so bright, so fair, , ' 

 It seems like Hope, to chase Despj|uv. 

 'Tis the Bell rock's beacon light, 

 Beaming from its airy height ; ^' 



Pointing to the sailor's eyes, ''^. 



Secret rocks, that near him rise : ''7 

 Seas may roll, and winds may blow;.''- 

 Still it shines, with friendly gl<^w, S8 

 Mountain billows vainly rave, ' lO 

 Still its light illumes the wave, 'O"* 

 Shews, that spreading wide beueat^i^t 

 Lurks perdition, danger, death. ' •, 



Following this poem of" Cpntempla- 

 tion," we have nine elegies of various 

 merit. The first, " Written oh Lo- 

 mond Hill," is well calculated Jo ex- 

 cite interest, as referring, particularly, 

 to (he fate of the hapless Mary, Queen 

 of Scotland. The verses " WriMen 

 among (he Ruins of the Royal Palace 

 of Falkland," are beautiful. h]ii re- 

 mind us rather too forcibly of f^unhing- 

 ham. The Elegy on a '• M'ithercd 

 Hawthorn Tree" pleases us hest, prin- 

 cipally, perhaps, oecaUse wc recollect 

 nothing 



