Iii

What intimations made them wise, The mournful pine, the pleasant beech? What strange and esoteric speech?-- (Communicated from the skies In runic whispers)--that invokes The boles that sleep within the seeds, And out of narrow darkness leads The vast assemblies of the oaks.

Within his knowledge, what one reads The poems written by the flowers? The sermons, past all speech of ours, Preached by the gospel of the weeds?-- O eloquence of coloring! O thoughts of syllabled perfume! O beauty uttered into bloom! Teach me your language! let me sing!