Songs of the Springtides and Birthday OdeTaken from The Collected Poetical Works of Algernon CharlesSwinburne—Vol. III
As toward a stormier eve;

And all the wan wide sea shuddered; and earth

Shook underfoot as toward some timeless birth,

Intolerable and inevitable; and all

Heaven, darkling, trembled like a stricken thrall.

And far out of the quivering east, and far

From past the moonrise and its guiding star,

Began a noise of tempest and a light

That was not of the lightning; and a sound

Rang with it round and round

That was not of the thunder; and a flight

As of blown clouds by night,

That was not of them; and with songs and cries

That sang and shrieked their soul out at the skies

A shapeless earthly storm of shapes began

From all ways round to move in on the man,

Clamorous against him silent; and their feet

Were as the wind's are fleet,

And their shrill songs were as wild birds' are sweet.

And as when all the world of earth was wronged


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