The trance gave way To those caresses, when a hundred times In that last kiss, which never was the last, Farewell, like endless welcome, lived and died. Then follow’d counsel, comfort and the words That make a man feel strong in speaking truth; Till now the dark was worn, and overhead The lights of sunset and of sunrise mix’d In that brief night; the summer night, that paused Among her stars to hear us; stars that hung Love-charm’d to listen: all the wheels of Time Spun round in station, but the end had come. O then like those, who clench[4] their nerves to rush Upon their dissolution, we two rose, There-closing like an individual life— In one blind cry of passion and of pain, Like bitter accusation ev’n to death, Caught up the whole of love and utter’d it, And bade adieu for ever. Live—yet live— Shall sharpest pathos blight us, knowing all Life needs for life is possible to will— Live happy; tend thy flowers; be tended by My blessing! Should my Shadow cross thy thoughts Too sadly for their peace, remand it thou For calmer hours to Memory’s darkest hold,[5] If not to be forgotten—not at once— Not all forgotten. Should it cross thy dreams, O might it come like one that looks content, With quiet eyes unfaithful to the truth, And point thee forward to a distant light, Or seem to lift a burthen from thy heart And leave thee frëer, till thou wake refresh’d, Then when the first low matin-chirp hath grown Full quire, and morning driv’n her plow of pearl[6] Far furrowing into light the mounded rack, Beyond the fair green field and eastern sea. [1] As this passage is a little obscure, it may not be superfluous to point out that “shout” is a substantive. [2] The distinction between “knowledge” and “wisdom” is a favourite one with Tennyson. See _In Memoriam_, cxiv.; _Locksley Hall_, 141, and for the same distinction see Cowper, _Task_, vi., 88-99. [3] Suggested by Theocritus, _Id_., xv., 104-5. [4] 1842 to 1845. O then like those, that clench. [5] Pathos, in the Greek sense, “suffering”. All editions up to and including 1850 have a small “s” and a small “m” for Shadow and Memory, and read thus:— Too sadly for their peace, so put it back For calmer hours in memory’s darkest hold, If unforgotten! should it cross thy dreams, So might it come, etc. [6] _Cf. Princess_, iii.:— Morn in the white wake of the morning star Came furrowing all the orient into gold, and with both cf. Greene, _Orlando Furioso_, i., 2:— Seest thou not Lycaon’s son? The hardy plough-swain unto mighty Jove Hath _trac’d his silver furrows in the heaven_, which in its turn is borrowed from Ariosto, _Orl. Fur._, xx., lxxxii.:— Apena avea Licaonia prole Per li solchi del ciel volto L’aratro. The Golden Year