Sonnet XLIII: The Unhappy Exile
The unhappy exile, whom his fates confine
To the bleak coast of some unfriendly isle,
Cold, barren, desart, where no harvests smile,
But thirst and hunger on the rocks repine;
When, from some promontory’s fearful brow,
Sun after sun he hopeless sees decline
In the broad shipless sea-perhaps may know
Such heartless pain, such blank despair as mine;
And, if a flattering cloud appears to show
The fancied semblance of a distant sail,
Then melts away-anew his spirits fail,
While the lost hope but aggravates his woe!
Ah! so for me delusive Fancy toils,
Then, from contrasted truth-my feeble soul recoils.





Related poetry:
- Sonnet XLIII: Why Should Your Fair Eyes Why should your fair eyes with such sovereign grace Disperse their rays on every vulgar spirit, Whilst I in darkness, […]...
- Sonnet XLIII: While From the Dizzy Precipice While from the dizzy precipice I gaze, The world receding from my pensive eyes, High o’er my head the tyrant […]...
- Tired And Unhappy, You Think Of Houses Tired and unhappy, you think of houses Soft-carpeted and warm in the December evening, While snow’s white pieces fall past […]...
- Sonnet I THE partial Muse, has from my earliest hours, Smil’d on the rugged path I’m doom’d to tread, And still with […]...
- The Land of the Exile Mother, the light has grown grey in the sky; I do not know what The time is. There is no […]...
- Sonnet XVI: Delusive Hope Delusive Hope! more transient than the ray That leads pale twilight to her dusky bed, O’er woodland glen, or breezy […]...
- Sonnet XLIII SHall I then silent be or shall I speake? And if I speake, her wrath renew I shall: And if […]...
- Sonnet XLIII When most I wink, then do mine eyes best see, For all the day they view things unrespected; But when […]...
- Sonnet 07 VII How soon hath Time the suttle theef of youth, Stoln on his wing my three and twentith yeer! My […]...
- Sonnet: Languid, And Sad, And Slow, From Day To Day Languid, and sad, and slow, from day to day I journey on, yet pensive turn to view (Where the rich […]...
- Sonnet XLII: Composed During a Walk The dark and pillowy cloud, the sallow trees, Seem o’er the ruins of the year to mourn; And, cold and […]...
- What Lips My Lips Have Kissed, And Where, And Why (Sonnet XLIII) What lips my lips have kissed, and where, and why, I have forgotten, and what arms have lain Under my […]...
- Damayante To Nala In The Hour Of Exile SHALT thou be conquered of a human fate My liege, my lover, whose imperial head Hath never bent in sorrow […]...
- Sonnet LXXXVI Was it the proud full sail of his great verse, Bound for the prize of all too precious you, That […]...
- Sonnet 86: Was it the proud full sail of his great verse Was it the proud full sail of his great verse, Bound for the prize of all-too-precious you, That did my […]...
- Exile My hands have not touched pleasure since your hands, No, nor my lips freed laughter since ‘farewell’, And with the […]...
- Tz'u No. 10 (Exile) To the tune of “Bodhisattva Aliens” Soft breezes, mild sunshine, Spring is still young. The sudden change of the light […]...
- The Exile We told her that her far off shore was bleak and dour to view, And that her sky was dull […]...
- An Exile's Farewell The ocean heaves around us still With long and measured swell, The autumn gales our canvas fill, Our ship rides […]...
- Sonnet 01 Go Valentine and tell that lovely maid Whom Fancy still will pourtray to my sight, How her Bard lingers in […]...
- Sonnet to William Wilberforce, Esq Thy country, Wilberforce, with just disdain, Hears thee, by cruel men and impious, call’d Fanatic, for thy zeal to loose […]...
- Sonnet XXVI: I Ever Love To Despair I ever love where never hope appears, Yet hope draws on my never-hoping care, And my life’s hope […]...
- The Gardener XLIII: No, My Friends No, my friends, I shall never be an Ascetic, whatever you may say. I shall never be and ascetic if […]...
- Sonnet 13: O, that you were your self! But, love, you are O, that you were your self! But, love, you are No longer yours than you yourself here live. Against this […]...
- Sonnet XXXIII: I Wake I wake! delusive phantoms hence, away! Tempt not the weakness of a lover’s breast; The softest breeze can shake the […]...
- Lover's Gifts XLIII: Dying, You Have Left Behind Dying, you have left behind you the great sadness of the Eternal In my life. You have painted my thought’s […]...
- Hymn 127 Christ’s invitation to sinners, or, Humility and pride. Mt. 11:28-30. “Come hither, all ye weary souls, Ye heavy-laden sinners, come; […]...
- Modern Love XLIII: Mark Where the Pressing Wind Mark where the pressing wind shoots javelin-like, Its skeleton shadow on the broad-backed wave! Here is a fitting spot to […]...
- The Waiting Soul Breathe from the gentle south, O Lord, And cheer me from the north; Blow on the treasures of thy word, […]...
- How Soon Hath Time How soon hath Time, the subtle thief of youth, Stoln on his wing my three and twentieth year! My hasting […]...
- And Doth Not a Meeting Like This And doth not a meeting like this make amends For all the long years I’ve been wandering away To see […]...
- To Qiwu Qian Bound Home After Failing an Examination In a happy reign there should be no hermits; The wise and able should consult together…. So you, a man […]...
- Sonnet 10 How darkly o’er yon far-off mountain frowns The gather’d tempest! from that lurid cloud The deep-voiced thunders roll, aweful and […]...
- Sonnet VII: Sweet Poet of the Woods Sweet poet of the woods – a long adieu! Farewel, soft minstrel of the early year! Ah! ’twill be long […]...
- Sonnet XI: O! Reason! O! Reason! vaunted Sovreign of the mind! Thou pompous vision with a sounding name! Can’st thou, the soul’s rebellious passions […]...
- Sonnet XXX MY loue is lyke to yse, and I to fyre; How comes it then that this her cold so great […]...
- Sonnet 30 (Fire And Ice) My love is like to ice, and I to fire: How comes it then that this her cold so great […]...
- Psalm 119 part 5 Delight in Scripture; or, The word of God dwelling in us. Ver. 97 O how I love thy holy law! […]...
- Work for Immortality Some Work for Immortality The Chiefer part, for Time He Compensates immediately The former Checks on Fame Slow Gold but […]...
- An Arctic Quest O proudly name their names who bravely sail To seek brave lost in Arctic snows and seas! Bring money and […]...