Before Raffaelle

O PURIST landscape, faint with mellow day !
O tranquil faces, shrined in tranquil light,
That Perugin, Angelico, beheld,
With air as listing far unearthly strains,
With eyes of yearning to the infinite,
And features lighted from serener skies !
We poring on you seem to gather wings.
Even as with stress of slowly mantling tide
A boat sways buoyant bedded yet in sand.
Your presence music-like doth round me flow.
Ye seem most like a silent blow
Of angel- flowers that enwreathe;
Surely I feel your feathers breathe
Thrilling about me in their sweep,
Yea, lift me as clear waters deep
When girdling round soft limbs their heave
Lifts grazing feet from sandy weave,
Unaware while our chins we lave
Coolly upon some azure wave.
So tender ravished may we float away
Where zephyr-like with gentle lover's breath
Ye from brows hot with earth's anxiety
May blow the hair and lure the burning out.
May soar inhaling deep nepenthe-draughts
From all embroilments of a world of woe,
May lose ourselves unbodied saturate
In palpitating mazes of the day !