Monday, October 19, 2009

Name That Poet -- #2

I thought the timing would be perfect, with this season of ghosts and goblins and such .... So, let's see what you can do with this poem. Poet's name and title if you know it.

In the greenest of our valleys
By good angels tenanted
Once a fair and stately palace--
Radient palace--reared it's head.
In the monarch Thought's dominion,
It stood there;
Never seraph spread a pinion
Over fabric half so fair.

Banner yellow, glorious, golden,
On its roof did float and flow
(This--all this--was in the olden
Time long ago),
And every gentle air that dallied,
In that sweet day,
Along the ramparts plumed and pallid,
A winged odor went away.

Wanderers in that happy valley
Through two luminous windows saw
Spirits moving musically,
To a lute's well-tuned law.
Round about a throne where, sitting,
Porphyrogene,
In state his glory well befitting,
The ruler of the realm was seen.

And all with pearl and ruby glowing
Was the fair palace door,
Through which came flowing, flowing, flowing,
And sparkling evermore,
A troop of Echoes, whose sweet duty
Was but to sing,
In voices of surpassing beauty,
The wit and wisdom of their king.

But evil things, in robes of sorrow,
Assailed the monarch's high estate;
(Ah, let us mourn, for never morrow
Shall dawn upon him desolate!)
And round about his home the glory
That blushed and bloomed,
Is but a dim-remembered story
Of the old time entombed.

And travelers now within that valley
Through the red-litten windows see
Vast forms that move fantastically
To a discordant melody;
While, like a ghastly rapid river,
Through the pale door
A hideous throng rush out forever,
And laugh--but smile no more.


Good luck to all!

Congrats to Bendigo! The poet is Edgar Allen Poe with his poem "The Haunted Palace"

6 comments:

Hunter said...

Had to look this one up.

Had you gone with:

It was many and many a year ago...


I might have gotten one. ;)

Author and Reader said...

Hunter ... so close, yet "many and many a year ago" lol. In any case, if no one comes forth with the answer, you should have it, based on initiative for looking it up! Thank you for your contributions. They are always appreciated. :-)

Bendigo said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Bendigo said...

It's Poe, but I was wrong about the title...

Author and Reader said...

Bendigo... Hey! Congratulations! Edgar Allen Poe is such a perfect choice for this time of the year.

And yes, let's just keep the title to ourselves for a few more days. Someone might get it.

Thanks, Bendigo for your input.

Bendigo said...

I'm not a poem person. I read this about twice before it was posted here. I have read this one about 20 times since you posted it. I get something out of it each time I read it..Guess I'm a Poe fan after all :)