Third act of the eternal play!
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In poster-like emblazonries,
"Autumn once more begins to-day"—
'Tis written all across the trees
In yellow letters like Chinese.
A classic of the antique school,
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Of which 'twere all in vain to tire,
And fed with stern dramatic fire—
Ah! Demiurgus of the lyre.
Lovely as stern the art that wields
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The rock, the rainbow, and the rose,
Scatters blue flowers along the fields,
Alike the bolt of thunder throws,
And from its hand lets fall the snows.
How many hundred centuries
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Hath run this play, with ne'er a pause!
That which this living audience sees
Thrilled all the dead to wild applause—
And yet the strange old drama draws.
No need to change the piece a whit—
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The audience changes all the time;
New millions crowd to witness it,
Each hour the clock beats out a chime:
This ancient masterpiece of rhyme.
For never rhyme was like to this,
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Since star matched star across the deep,
Or sound with sound first learned to kiss,
And Time was given this rhythm to keep
Of song and sunshine, dreams and sleep.
Not all alike adjudge the play:
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Some laugh, some weep, and some there be
Deem the old classic's had its day,
And some scarce any of it see,
Nodding in witless apathy.
And others more than all the rest
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One act out of the four prefer—
Spring, in her wind-flower draperies drest,
Or Summer, with her bosom bare;
Winter than these some deem more fair.
Some, mayhap melancholic, deem
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Autumn the meaning of the play—
The smile that says, "'Twas all a dream!"
The sigh that says, "I can but stay
A little while, and then away";
The rustling robe of joy that ends,
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The moon-cold kiss upon the brow,
The fading sail of sea-sped friends,
The love that is another's now,
The voice that mourns, "Ah! where art thou?"
For all her purple and her gold,
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Autumn hath such a tale to tell—
The tale that tells us all is told;
Yea! but she tells it wondrous well,
Weaving strange hope into her spell:
The hope that, when we sit no more
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At this old play, and needs must go
Through yonder shrouded exit door,
Hath still for us a stranger show.