Sunday 5 June 2011

Shelley - Invocation


RARELY, rarely, comest thou,
Spirit of Delight!
Wherefore hast thou left me now
Many a day and night?
Many a weary night and day
'Tis since thou art fled away.

How shall ever one like me
Win thee back again?
With the joyous and the free
Thou wilt scoff at pain.
Spirit false! thou hast forgot
All but those who need thee not.

As a lizard with the shade
Of a trembling leaf,
Thou with sorrow art dismay'd;
Even the sighs of grief
Reproach thee, that thou art not near,
And reproach thou wilt not hear.

Let me set my mournful ditty
To a merry measure;
Thou wilt never come for pity,
Thou wilt come for pleasure:
Pity then will cut away
Those cruel wings, and thou wilt stay.

I love all that thou lovest,
Spirit of Delight!
The fresh earth in new leaves drest
And the starry night;
Autumn evening, and the morn
When the golden mists are born.

I love snow, and all the forms
Of the radiant frost;
I love waves, and winds, and storms,
Everything almost
Which is Nature's, and may be
Untainted by man's misery.

I love tranquil solitude,
And such society
As is quiet, wise, and good;
Between thee and me
What diff'rence? but thou dost possess
The things I seek, not love them less.

I love Love—though he has wings,
And like light can flee,
But above all other things,
Spirit, I love thee—
Thou art love and life! O come!
Make once more my heart thy home!

18 comments:

  1. :)

    I'm following the lead of Hille (lilleke80) who made a lovely video reading this yesterday.
    http://lilleke80.multiply.com/video/item/31/P.B._Shelley-_Invocation

    ReplyDelete
  2. Excellent video, Okei! You have a very distinguished voice. :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love this piece. First off I thought of Elizabeth Barret Browning, and was not surprised to find Shelly. You can read to me anytime. I should probably be less inclined to argue with you, for I feel the good nature springing from it. The art of this thing, touches me greatly. I would love to have these images 'saved' individually upon my computer.

    I stamp a gold *star upon your forehead.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh Jamintoo, it was just simply so lovely to hear your voice.

    A big smile on my face right now.

    Take care.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Well, thank you! But please not distinguished, lol, just okei.

    I'm okei! Who are you?
    Are you okei too?
    Then there's a pair of us — don't tell!
    They'd banish us, you know.

    How dreary to be distinguished!
    How public, like a frog
    To speak out loud the livelong day
    To an admiring bog!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thanks Rose! I thought I was desperado and instead Carrie tells me I come across as distinguished, lol. Please don't be put off debating me because of this, lol.

    The images are subtitled: Hughes "Ophelia", Moreau "Peacock complaining to Juno" and Ryland "The Young Orpheus". Glad you liked the choice. :^)

    And there's another poem I recorded yesterday which I'll be putting up.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thanks Catherine!!! Me too :^)

    ReplyDelete
  8. I think you have found another 'niche' for expressing yourself.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Indeed! And as Hille said, it makes you appreciate the effort involved in making all the videos we take for granted on youtube. And the pressure for accuracy because it's so much more difficult to edit videos than it is to edit text, so you really need a clear vision of what you want beforehand.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Oh yes, I can imagine. I could not help but wonder what my latest blog would 'sound like' with you 'saying it.' Some voices are comfortable to listen
    to and have the right amount of inflection and strength and skill of 'reading aloud,' (for that no easy task and some are born to write it, and others to say it.)

    I shall hope you do 'many more of these.' And perhaps 'hire out' to your friends :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. (oh not that you are not 'born to write,' as well!)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Well beyond beautiful!!!!

    Thank you!!!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Dear Jamintoo, you have just made my day.

    I agree !

    This is one of the Videos that I made for YouTube. The Music is from Hector and myself :



    Take care.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Inspirational and lovely catherine. It must be so fulfilling.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Thank you Deano! I think I watched and enjoyed that video Catherine, but I can't tell from the mobile. Rose, I only get to the computer with movie software and editing abilities and internet on Sundays, but I can record during the week. It could be like a form of meditation. But the process of production is complicated. See the other thread I replied at. But as for expression, unlike Plato who saw writing as secondary to speech, I think this is because writing was so slow and difficult then and was merely recording speech, whereas for me and you writing can be a live process and a great way to think through something. Speech then becomes a recording of writing! And yet something is added. And video adds a whole new level again.

    ReplyDelete
  16. For me the visuals are secondary (albeit beautiful) I am more attracted to the recording itself. After all, I can, wax the floor and listen, focusing my 'creative mind,' to the words (or sound) I am following, allowing me 'pleasure' at waxing that floor, opened to the reflection of the soul, as I work. So it matters 'not' to me the pretty pictures.

    In fact, sometimes they are a distraction from the thing I care about the most.

    ReplyDelete