[ { "title": "Stanzas", "author": "John Keats", "lines": [ "IN a drear-nighted December,", " Too happy, happy tree,", "Thy branches ne'er remember", " Their green felicity:", "The north cannot undo them,", "With a sleety whistle through them;", "Nor frozen thawings glue them", " From budding at the prime.", "", "In a drear-nighted December,", " Too happy, happy brook,", "Thy bubblings ne'er remember", " Apollo's summer look;", "But with a sweet forgetting,", "They stay their crystal fretting,", "Never, never petting", " About the frozen time.", "", "Ah! would 'twere so with many", " A gentle girl and boy!", "But were there ever any", " Writhed not at passed joy?", "To know the change and feel it,", "When there is none to heal it,", "Nor numbed sense to steal it,", " Was never said in rhyme." ], "linecount": "24" }, { "title": "Stanzas", "author": "Robinson", "lines": [ "WHEN fragrant gales and summer show'rs", "Call'd forth the sweetly scented flow'rs;", "When ripen'd sheaves of golden grain,", "Strew'd their rich treasures o'er the plain;", "When the full grape did nectar yield,", "In tepid drops of purple hue;", "When the thick grove, and thirsty field,", "Drank the soft show'r and bloom'd a-new;", "O then my joyful heart did say,", "\"Sure this is Nature's Holy-day!\"", "", "But when the yellow leaf did fade,", "And every gentle flow'r decay'd;", "When whistling winds, and drenching rain,", "Swept with rude force the naked plain;", "When o'er the desolated scene,", "I saw the drifted snow descend;", "And sadness darken'd all the green,", "And Nature's triumphs seem'd to end;", "O! then, my mourning heart did say,", "\"Thus Youth shall vanish, Life decay.\"", "", "When Beauty blooms, and Fortune smiles,", "And wealth the easy breast beguiles;", "When pleasure from her downy wings,", "Her soft bewitching incense flings;", "THEN, Friends look kind­and round the heart", "The brightest flames of passion move,", "False Flatt'ry's soothing strains impart", "The warmest Friendship­fondest Love;", "But when capricious FORTUNE flies,", "Then FRIENDSHIP fades;­and PASSION dies." ], "linecount": "30" }, { "title": "Stanzas", "author": "George Gordon, Lord Byron", "lines": [ "WHEN a man hath no freedom to fight for at home,", " Let him combat for that of his neighbours;", "Let him think of the glories of Greece and of Rome,", " And get knocked on the head for his labours.", "", "To do good to Mankind is the chivalrous plan,", " And is always as nobly requited;", "Then battle for Freedom wherever you can,", " And, if not shot or hanged, you'll get knighted." ], "linecount": "8" }, { "title": "Stanzas", "author": "George Gordon, Lord Byron", "lines": [ " Could Love for ever", " Run like a river,", " And Time's endeavour", " Be tried in vain--", " No other pleasure", " With this could measure;", " And like a treasure", " We'd hug the chain.", " But since our sighing", " Ends not in dying,", " And, formed for flying,", " Love plumes his wing;", " Then for this reason", " Let's love a season;", "But let that season be only Spring.", "", " When lovers parted", " Feel broken-hearted,", " And, all hopes thwarted,", " Expect to die;", " A few years older,", " Ah! how much colder", " They might behold her", " For whom they sigh!", " When linked together,", " In every weather,", " They pluck Love's feather", " From out his wing--", " He'll stay for ever,", " But sadly shiver", "Without his plumage, when past the Spring.", "", " Like Chiefs of Faction,", " His life is action--", " A formal paction", " That curbs his reign,", " Obscures his glory,", " Despot no more, he", " Such territory", " Quits with disdain.", " Still, still advancing,", " With banners glancing,", " His power enhancing,", " He must move on--", " Repose but cloys him,", " Retreat destroys him,", "Love brooks not a degraded throne.", "", " Wait not, fond lover!", " Till years are over,", " And then recover", " As from a dream.", " While each bewailing", " The other's failing.", " With wrath and railing,", " All hideous seem--", " While first decreasing,", " Yet not quite ceasing,", " Wait not till teasing,", " All passion blight:", " If once diminished", " Love's reign is finished--", "Then part in friendship,--and bid good-night.", "", " So shall Affection", " To recollection", " The dear connection", " Bring back with joy:", " You had not waited", " Till, tired or hated,", " Your passions sated", " Began to cloy.", " Your last embraces", " Leave no cold traces--", " The same fond faces", " As through the past:", " And eyes, the mirrors", " Of your sweet errors,", "Reflect but rapture--not least though last.", "", " True, separations", " Ask more than patience;", " What desperations", " From such have risen!", " But yet remaining,", " What is't but chaining", " Hearts which, once waning,", " Beat 'gainst their prison?", " Time can but cloy love,", " And use destroy love:", " The wingéd boy, Love,", " Is but for boys--", " You'll find it torture", " Though sharper, shorter,", "To wean, and not wear out your joys." ], "linecount": "90" } ]