flora’s album. 53 
Heath. 
“ A heath’s green wild lay present to his view, 
With shrubs and field-flowers decked of varied hne.” 
SOLITUDE. 
To sit on rocks, to muse o’er flood and fell, 
To slowly trace the forest’s shady scene, 
Where things that own not man’s dominion dwell, 
And mortal foot hath ne’er, or rarely been; 
To climb the trackless mountain all unseen. 
With the wild flock that never needs a fold 
Alone o’er steeps and foaming falls to lean; — 
This is not solitude; ’t is but to hold 
Converse with nature’s charms, and see her stores 
unrolled. 
But midst the crowd, the hum, the shock of men, 
To hear, to see, to feel, and to possess. 
And roam along, the world’s tired denizen. 
With none to bless us, none whom we can bless. 
Minions of splendor shrinking from distress 1 
None that, with kindred consciousness endued. 
If we were not, would seem to smile the less 
Of all that flattered, followed, sought and sued; 
This is to be alone; this, this is solitude ! 
Btron. 
