Caroline Anne Southey （b. 1786,d.1854）,the second wife of Southey the poet,and better known as Caroline Bowles,was born near Lymington,Hampshire,England. Her first work,"Ellen Fitzarthur," a poem,was published in 1820;and for more than twenty years her writings were published anonymously. In 1839 she was married tMr. Southey,and survived him over ten years. Her poetry is graceful in expression,and full of tenderness,though somewhat melancholy. The following extract first appeared in 1822 in a collection entitled,"The Widow’s Tale,and other Poems."
1.All day the low-hung clouds have dropped Their garnered1 fullness down;All day that soft,gray mist hath wrapped Hill,valley,grove,and town.
2.There has not been a sound to-day Tbreak the calm of nature;Nor motion,I might almost say,Of life or living creature;3.Of waving bough,or warbling bird,Or cattle faintly lowing;I could have half believed I heard The leaves and blossoms growing.
1 Garnered,laid up,treasured.
4.I stood thear-I love it well- The rain‘s continuous sound;Small drops,but thick and fast they fell,Down straight intthe ground.
5.For leafy thickness is not yet Earth’s naked breast tscreen,Though every dripping branch is set With shoots of tender green.
6.Sure,since I looked,at early morn,Those honeysuckle budsHave swelled tdouble growth;that thorn Hath put forth larger studs1.
7.That lilac‘s cleaving2 cones have burst,The milk-white flowers revealing;Even now upon my senses first Methinks their sweets are stealing.
8.The very earth,the steamy air,Is all with fragrance rife!
And grace and beauty everywhere Are flushing intlife.
9.Down,down they come,those fruitful stores,Those earth-rejoicing drops!
A momentary deluge pours,Then thins,decreases,stops.
1 Studs,knobs,buds. 2Cleaving,dividing.
10.And ere the dimples1 on the stream Have circled out of sight,Lo! from the west a parting gleam Breaks forth of amber2 light.
11.But yet behold-abrupt and loud,Comes down the glittering rain;The farewell of a passing cloud,The fringes of its train.
1Dimples,small depressions.
2Amber,the color of amber,yellow.