Monday, July 27, 2009

hymn to the moon


mary montague has an amazing life story. in some ways she was born out of time but in others it was probably a blessing that she brought her perspectives and "eccentricities" (as they were perceived then) to bear on a culture that needed to look at itself with a bit more of a critical eye.

the poem i'm sharing today is one of hers:

hymn to the moon

thou silver deity of secret night,
direct my footsteps through the woodland shade,
sir john everett millais dew drenched furze

thou conscious witness of unknown delight,
the lovers guardian, and the muse's aid.
by thy pale beams i solitary rove,
to thee my tender grief confide,
serenely sweet you gild the silent grove,
g. steinback

my friend, my goddess and my guide.
even thee fair queen from thy amazing height
the charms of young endimion drew,
veil'd with the mantle of concealing night,
with all thy greatness and thy coldness too . . .
"roundhay lake from castle" john atkinson grimshaw

to learn more about mary, then you might like to read this article which provides even more colourful and fascinating details about her life.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Came over from Willow's - see you there all the time. LOL

I enjoyed your post today.

Pick a Peck of Pixels

steven said...

good morning abe and thanks for dropping by!! there are many regulars over on willow's blog, which is fine as they all seem like good people. i just visited your blog and would like to compliment you on your outstanding photography.i am amazed by nature and it seems that you have a really keen sense of detail and timing, capturing some astonishing images. i look forward to visiting your blog often in the future! have a lovely day. steven

Tess Kincaid said...

The crescent moon has been just delightful, just after dark, the last few nights. So big and crystal clear. My kids used to call a crescent moon like this an "oreo cookie moon".

steven said...

i have been looking for the moon ( and the space station as it flies overhead) but it's all been very fuzzy and hidden away behind the clouds.
i love that kids are able to so easily draw connections between the big and the little features of their life. when they do that it makes all so much easier to relate to doesn't it!! have a peaceful day! steven

The Weaver of Grass said...

Your pictures go so well with those words steven.
I am looking forward to reading your contribution to our Inspiration meme on Wednesday.

steven said...

thankyou very much weaver. i spent some very happy time finding them. but it's very worth it to me. i love bringing the words and the pictures together. have a lovely evening. steven