No More Learning

. . 1798. ]





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REMEMBRANCE OF COLLINS


COMPOSED UPON THE THAMES NEAR RICHMOND [A]


Composed 1789. --Published 1798


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Glide gently, thus for ever glide,[B]
O Thames! that other bards may see
As lovely visions by thy side
As now, fair river! come to me.
O glide, fair stream! for ever so, 5
Thy quiet soul on all bestowing,
Till all our minds for ever flow
As thy deep waters now are flowing.

Vain thought! --Yet be as now thou art,
That in thy waters may be seen 10
The image of a poet's heart,
How bright, how solemn, how serene!
Such as did once the Poet bless, [1]
Who murmuring here a later [C] ditty, [2]
Could find no refuge from distress 15
But in the milder grief of pity.

Now let us, as we float along, [3]
For _him_ [4] suspend the dashing oar; [D]
And pray that never child of song
May know that Poet's sorrows more. [5] 20
How calm! how still!
the only sound,
The dripping of the oar suspended!
--The evening darkness gathers round
By virtue's holiest Powers attended.



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VARIANTS ON THE TEXT


[Variant 1:

1800.

Such heart did once the poet bless, 1798. ]


[Variant 2:

1815.

Who, pouring here a _later_ [i] ditty, 1798. ]


[Variant 3:

1802.

Remembrance, as we glide along, 1798.

. . . float . . . 1800. ]


[Variant 4:

1802.