Into a crown to deck the honoured brow?

Who charms the gods? who makes Olympus yield?

The power of man in poet’s art revealed.

Merryfellow.

Merryfellow.

Then learn such subtle powers to wield,

And on the poet’s business enter

As one does on a love-adventure.

They meet by chance, are pleased, and stay

On being pressed, just for a day;

Then hours to hours are sweetly linked in chain,

Till net-caught by degrees, they find retreat is vain.

At first the sky is bright, then darkly lowers;

To-day, fine thrilling rapture wings the hours,

To-morrow, doubts and anguish have their chance,

And, ere one knows, they’re deep in a romance.

A play like this both praise and profit brings.

Plunge yourself boldly in the stream of things—

What’s lived by all, but known to few—

And bring up something fresh and new,

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