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SONNET [32] XXXII. To Melancholy. Written on the Banks of the Arun, October, 1785.

1 WHEN latest Autumn spreads her evening veil
2 And the gray mists from these dim waves arise,
3 I love to listen to the hollow sighs,
4 Thro' the half leafless wood that breathes the gale.
5 For at such hours the shadowy phantom, pale,
6 Oft seems to fleet before the poet's eyes;
7 Strange sounds are heard, and mournful melodies,
8 As of night wand'rers, who their woes bewail!
9 Here, by his native stream, at such an hour,
10 Pity's own Otway, I methinks could meet,
11 And hear his deep sighs swell the sadden'd wind!
12 Oh Melancholy! such thy magic power,
13 That to the soul these dreams are often sweet,
14 And soothe the pensive visionary mind!

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Title (in Source Edition): SONNET [32] XXXII. To Melancholy. Written on the Banks of the Arun, October, 1785.
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Genres: sonnet

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Smith, Charlotte Turner, 1749-1806. Elegiac sonnets, and other poems. By Charlotte Smith. The first Worcester edition, from the sixth London edition, with additions. Printed at Worcester [Mass.]: by Isaiah Thomas, sold by him in Worcester, and by said Thomas and Andrews in Boston, 1795, p. 52. xix,[2],22-126,[2]p.,[5] leaves of plates: ill.; 15 cm. (12mo) (OTA N22357)

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The text has been typographically modernized, but without any silent modernization of spelling, capitalization, or punctuation. The source of the text is given and all editorial interventions have been recorded in textual notes. Based on the electronic text originally produced by the TCP project, this ECPA text has been edited to conform to the recommendations found in Level 5 of the Best Practices for TEI in Libraries version 4.0.0.

Other works by Charlotte Smith (née Turner)