Halloween, A Romaunt with Lays Meditative and Devotional by Arthur Cleveland Coxe (1818 - 1896)

HERE IS AN EXCERPT FROM ARTHUR CLEVELAND COXE'S 1845 POEM:

              VI.

The Autumn wind—oh hear it howl!

Without—October’s tempests scowl,

As he troops away on the raving wind!

And leaveth dry leaves in his path behind!

        Without—without,

        Oh hear him shout,

  He is making the old trees bare;

        Oh cruel, he,

        To the old oak tree,

  And the garden hedge so fair!

Oh, a wild and tyrannous king is he,

When he playeth his frolic in every tree,

  And maketh the forest bare!

 

             VII.

I know that a tyrannous rod is his,

  When he maketh the forest bow;

But worse, far worse are his tyrannies,

  For he tameth the spirit now!

        Without—without,

        Oh hear him shout,

            October is going away!

’Tis the night—the night

Of the grave’s delight,

    And the warlocks are at their play!

Ye think that without,

The wild winds shout,

    But no, it is they—it is they!

             VIII.

The spirits are pulling the sere dry leaves,

  Of the shadowy forest, down;

And howl the gaunt reapers that gather the sheaves,

  With the moon, o’er their revels, to frown:

To-morrow ye’ll find all their spoils in your path,

  And ye’ll speak of the wind and the sky;

But oh could ye see them to-night, in their wrath,

  I ween ye’d be frenzied of eye!

 

             IX.

There is a world in which we dwell;

And yet a world invisible!

And do not think that naught can be,

Save only what with eyes ye see;

I tell ye, that, this very hour,

Had but your sight a spirit’s power,

Ye would be looking, eye to eye,

At a terrific company!

A thousand shapes are at your side,

A thousand by your bed abide,

A thousand, hellish demon sprites,

That bend ye to their foul delights;

And ye are, every day, the hand,

The tool of an infernal band,

That with you dwell,—are one with you,

And govern ye in all ye do,

Save, when ye live in prayer, or hear

A silent whisper in your ear,

From one,—your friend in heav’n and earth,

The guardian angel of your birth.