COLLECTED POEMS OF GEORGE WILLIAM RUSSEL. This book holds what poetry of mine I would wish my friends to read. I have omitted what in colder hours seemed to me to have failed to preserve some heat of the imagination but in that colder mood I have made but slight revision of those retained. However imperfect they seemed, I did not feel that I could in after hours melt and remould and make perfect the form if I was unable to do so in the intensity of conception, when I was in those heavens we breathe for a moment and then find they are not for our clay. When I first discovered for myself how near was the King in His beauty I thought I would be the singer of the happiest songs. Forgive me, Spirit of my spirit, for this, that I have found it easier to read the mystery told in tears and understood Thee better in sorrow than in joy that, though I would not, I have made the way seem thorny, and have wandered in too many byways, imagining myself into moods which held Thee not. I should have parted the true from the false, but I have not yet passed away from myself who am in the words of this book. Time is a swift winnower, and that he will do quicklyfor me. Contents include: AWAKENING ...2 BY THE MARGIN OF THE GREAT DEEP . . 3 THE UNKNOWN GOD . THE HERMIT OVERSOUL ...5 6 8 THE GREAT BREATH ...9 DUSK- NIGHT DAWN- DAY, 13 ECHOES 14 STAR TEACHERS ...15 WINTER . 16 ANSWER ...17 THE GIFT .18 THE DIVINE VISION ...19 FROLIC ...21 DESIRE...22 THE PLACE OF REST ...23 THE DAWN OF DARKNESS ...24 ix 10 ii 12 CONTENTS PAGE 26 ...WAITING . . THE SYMBOL SEDUCES ...v 27 REST ...28 PITY ..., ...29 THE CITY ...30 DUST ...34 THE VIRGIN MOTHER ...35 DANA 37 THE EARTH BREATH ...39 ALTER EGO ...41 NATURAL MAGIC ...43 CHILDHOOD ...45 THREE COUNSELLORS ...46 SYMBOLISM ...47 IMMORTALITY...49 MYSTERY ...50 A NEW WORLD ...52 SACRIFICE ...54 BROTHERHOOD...55 ON A HILL-TOP ...57 THE VOICE OF THE WATERS ...59 KRISHNA ...61 - ...FREEDOM ..63 HE EARTH ...64 To ONE CONSECRATED ...66 CONTENTS PAGE A WOMANS VOICE ...68 THE SPIRIT OF THE GAY ...69 HEROIC LOVE ...7 DIVINE VISITATION. , ...7 1 PARTING ...7 2 NGHT ...-...xi 73 ...75 DAWN SONG . THE HOUR OF THE KING ...77 THE HEROES...79 PAIN 82 ...SELF-DISCIPLINE . . 8 3 THE MAN TO THE ANGEL ...84 A VISION OF BEAUTY ...86 THE VESTURE OF THE SOUL...89 THE FREE ...9 COMFORT . . 9 1 ...94 WARNING ...93 REFUGE...95 THE BURNING-GLASS ...-H 9 6 BABYLON ...9 7 THE FACES OF MEMORY ...99 THE MESSAGE . . 9 IO THE SINGING SILENCES ...xFFiNrr ...IO1 . IO A CALL . v 3 IO 5