Ode
to
Despair
.
From
the
Novel
of
Emmeline
.
THOU
spectre
of
terrific
mein
,
Lord
of
the
hopeless
heart
and
hollow
eye
,
In
whose
fierce
train
each
form
is
seen
That
drives
sick
Reason
to
insanity
!
I
woo
thee
with
unusual
pray'r
,
'
Grim
visag'd
,
comfortless
Despair
!
'
Approach
;
in
me
a
willing
victim
find
,
Who
seeks
thine
iron
sway
—
and
calls
thee
kind
!
Ah
!
hide
forever
from
my
sight
The
faithless
flatt'rer
Hope
—
whose
pencil
,
gay
,
Pourtrays
some
vision
of
delight
,
Then
bids
the
fairy
tablet
fade
away
;
While
in
dire
contrast
,
to
mine
eyes
Thy
phantoms
,
yet
more
hideous
,
rise
,
And
Mem'ry
draws
,
from
Pleasure's
wither'd
flow'r
,
Corrosives
for
the
heart
—
of
fatal
pow'r
!
I
bid
the
traitor
Love
,
adieu
!
Who
to
this
fond
,
believing
bosom
came
,
A
guest
insidious
and
untrue
,
With
Pity's
soothing
voice
—
in
Friendship's
name
;
The
wounds
he
gave
,
nor
Time
shall
cure
,
Nor
Reason
teach
me
to
endure
:
And
to
that
breast
mild
Patience
pleads
in
vain
,
Which
feels
the
curse
—
of
meriting
its
pain
.
Yet
not
to
me
,
tremendous
pow'r
!
Thy
worst
of
spirit
wounding
pangs
impart
,
With
which
,
in
dark
Conviction's
hour
,
Thou
strik'st
the
guilty
,
unrepentant
heart
!
But
of
illusion
long
the
sport
,
That
dreary
,
tranquil
gloom
I
court
,
Where
my
past
errors
I
may
still
deplore
,
And
dream
of
long
lost
Happiness
no
more
!
To
thee
I
give
this
tortur'd
breast
,
Where
Hope
arises
but
to
foster
pain
;
Ah
!
lull
its
agonies
to
rest
!
Ah
!
let
me
never
be
deceiv'd
again
!
But
callous
,
in
thy
deep
repose
Behold
,
in
long
array
,
the
woes
.
Of
the
dread
future
,
calm
and
undismay'd
,
Till
I
may
claim
the
Hope
—
that
shall
not
fade
!