SONNETS AND POEMS, BY ELEANOR
FARJEON.

TO VIOLA.

¶ Some of these poems have appeared in The Athenæum, Blackwood’s
Magazine, The Englishwoman, Root and Branch, The Saturday Westminster,
and The Vineyard: by the courtesy of whose editors they are reprinted
in this volume.

CONTENTS

Page

Sonnets

[7]

Christmas and New-year Songs

[Six Green Singers][16]
[In a Far Country][17]
[A Manger Song][19]
[Child’s Carol][20]
[The Mummers][20]
[Cradle-Song for Christmas][21]
[The Moon upon her Watch-Tower][22]
[A Burying][22]
[“Colin Clout, Come Home Again!”][23]

Miscellaneous Poems.

[Bronwen of the Flowers][28]
[Jessica Dances][28]
[Sylvia Sings][29]
[Myfanwy among the Leaves][30]
[For Joan][31]
[A Child’s Fear][32]
[A Christening][32]
[The Singer][34]
[The Girl with the Ball][35]
[The Story-Teller][36]
[The Reflection][37]
[Solitary][39]
[Spring-Dawn][39]
[The World’s Amazing Beauty][40]
[41]
[Nightingales][42]
[Night-Piece][43]
[Before Winter][43]
[On the Snow][44]
[Three Miles to Penn][44]
[When You Say][45]
[The Outlet][45]
[Two Choruses from “Merlin in Broceliande”][46]
[Peace][48]
[Now that You Too][49]

SONNETS.

I.

AN cannot be a sophist to his heart,
He must look nakedly on his intent,
Expose it of all shreds of argument,
And strip it like a slave-girl in the mart.
What though with speckled truths and masked confessions
He still deceives awhile the outer sense?
At barely half his honesty’s expense
Still earns the world’s excuse for the world’s transgressions?

His conscience cannot play the marshland elf,
Confusing that poor midnight wanderer,
His soul, with floundering lights and errant gleams.
O what damnation man would deal himself
If meeting her beyond his uttermost dreams
He still could face his soul and lie to her.