I. Composed on the White Sands near Arklow
I.
Composed on the White Sands near Arklow [1]
Can I behold those caverns, hear those waves,
Sounds well remembered! without pensive thought
Recurring to those hours, when pleas'd I sought
Thy rocks Oh Dawlish, and thy hollow caves!
Or wander'd on the sands by peaceful Exe,5
List'ning to the gay voice of my poor friend,
Now heard no more! Many a sigh I send
Of sad regret; and oft, when cares shall vex,
Or sorrow press my agitated breast,
Thee, Memory, I shall woo, thy soothing powers10
Shall lead me back to those calm, social hours,
Each well-known scene by present Fancy drest
In sober melancholy hues shall rise
And charm as now my captivated eyes.
Notes
[1] EDITOR'S NOTE: "Composed on the White Sands near Arklow" does not appear in Psyche, with Other Poems or Mary (or Collected Poems and Journals), and is not dated in Verses. The illustration depicts the cliffs of South Devon, England between the River Exe and the Dawlish River, which Tighe is recalling in Arklow, Country Wicklow, Ireland. BACK
