The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems (94 page)

Read The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems Online

Authors: John Milton,Burton Raffel

Tags: #Fiction, #General, #Literary Collections, #Poetry, #Classics, #English; Irish; Scottish; Welsh, #English poetry

BOOK: The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems
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265

      

Birds on the branches warbling—all things smiled.

266

      

With fragrance and with joy my heart o’erflowed.

267

      

Myself I then perused, and limb by limb

268

      

Surveyed, and sometimes went,
4513
and sometimes ran

269

      

With supple joints, as lively vigor led.

270

      

But who I was, or where, or from what cause,

271

      

Knew not. To speak I tried, and forthwith spoke.

272

      

My tongue obeyed, and readily could name

273

      

Whate’er I saw. ‘Thou Sun,’ said I, ‘fair light,

274

      

And thou enlight’ned
4514
earth, so fresh and gay,

275

      

Ye hills and dales, ye rivers, woods, and plains,

276

      

And ye that live and move, fair creatures, tell,

277

      

Tell, if ye saw, how I came thus, how here?

278

      

Not of myself—by some great Maker, then,

279

      

In goodness and in power preëminent.

280

      

Tell me, how may I know Him, how adore,

281

      

From whom I have that thus I move and live,

282

      

And feel that I am happier than I know.

283

      

While thus I called, and strayed I knew not whither

284

      

From where I first drew air, and first beheld

285

      

This happy light—when, answer none returned,

286

      

On a green shady bank, profuse of flowers,

287

      

Pensive I sat me down. There gentle sleep

288

      

First found me, and with soft oppression
4515
seized

289

      

My drowsèd
4516
sense, untroubled, though I thought

290

      

I then was passing to my former state

291

      

Insensible, and forthwith to dissolve.

292

      

When suddenly stood at my head a dream,

293

      

Whose inward apparition
4517
gently moved

294

      

My fancy to believe I yet had being,

295

      

And lived. One came, methought, of shape divine,

296

      

And said, ‘Thy mansion
4518
wants
4519
thee, Adam. Rise,

297

      

First man, of men innumerable ordained

298

      

First father! Called by thee, I come thy guide

299

      

To the garden of bliss, thy seat prepared.

300

      

So saying, by the hand He took me raised,

301

      

And over fields and waters, as in air

302

      

Smooth-sliding without step, last led me up

303

      

A woody mountain, whose high top was plain,

304

      

A circuit wide, enclosed with goodliest trees

305

      

Planted, with walks, and bowers, that what I saw

306

      

Of earth before scarce pleasant seemed. Each tree,

307

      

Loaden with fairest fruit that hung to the eye

308

      

Tempting, stirred in me sudden appetite

309

      

To pluck and eat, whereat I waked, and found

310

      

Before mine eyes all real,
4520
as the dream

311

      

Had lively
4521
shadowed.
4522
Here had new begun

312

      

My wand’ring, had not He, who was my guide

313

      

Up hither, from among the trees appeared,

314

      

Presence Divine. Rejoicing, but with awe,

315

      

In adoration at His feet I fell

316

      

Submiss. He reared me, and ‘Whom thou sought’st I am,

317

      

Said mildly, ‘Author of all this thou see’st

318

      

Above, or round about thee, or beneath.

319

      

This Paradise I give thee, count it thine

320

      

To till
4523
and keep, and of the fruit to eat.

321

      

Of every tree that in the garden grows

322

      

Eat freely with glad heart, fear here no dearth.
4524

323

      

But of the tree whose operation
4525
brings

324

      

Knowledge of good and ill, which I have set

325

      

The pledge
4526
of thy obedience and thy faith,

326

      

Amid the garden by
4527
the Tree of Life,

327

      

Remember what I warn thee: shun to taste,

328

      

And shun the bitter consequence. For know,

329

      

The day thou eat’st thereof, my sole command

330

      

Transgressed, inevitably
4528
thou shalt die,

331

      

From that day mortal, and this happy state

332

      

Shalt lose, expelled from hence into a world

333

      

Of woe and sorrow. ’ Sternly He pronounced

334

      

The rigid interdiction, which resounds

335

      

Yet dreadful in mine ear, though in my choice

336

      

Not to incur. But soon His clear aspect
4529

337

      

Returned, and gracious purpose
4530
thus renewed:

338

      

‘Not only these fair bounds,
4531
but all the earth

339

      

To thee and to thy race I give. As lords

340

      

Possess it, and all things that therein live,

341

      

Or live in sea, or air, beast, fish, and fowl.

342

      

In sign whereof each bird and beast behold

343

      

After their kinds; I bring them to receive

344

      

From thee their names, and pay thee fealty
4532

345

      

With low subjection. Understand the same

346

      

Of fish within their wat’ry residence,

347

      

Not hither summoned, since they cannot change

348

      

Their element, to draw
4533
the thinner air.

349

      

As thus he spoke, each bird and beast behold

350

      

Approaching two and two, these
4534
cowering low

351

      

With blandishment,
4535
each bird stooped on his wing.

352

      

I named them, as they passed, and understood

353

      

Their nature, with such knowledge God endued
4536

354

      

My sudden apprehension.
4537
But in these

355

      

I found not what methought I wanted still,

356

      

And to the Heav’nly vision thus presumed:
4538

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