elegyon“stella” thefollowingpoemistheworkofsomehaplesssonofthemuseswhodeservedabetterfate.thereisagreatdealof“thevoiceofcona”inhissolitary,mournfulnotesandhadthesentimentsbeenclothedinshenstone'slanguage,theywouldhavebeennodiscrediteventothatelegantpoet.—r.b. straitisthespotandgreenthesod fromwhencemysorrowsflow andsoundlysleepstheeverdear inhabitantbelow. pardonmytransport,gentleshade, whileo'ertheturfibow thyearthyhouseiscircumscrib'd, andsolitarynow. notonepoorstonetotelhyname, ormakethyvirtuesknown: butwhatavailstome—tothee, thesculptureofastone? i'llsitmedownuponthisturf, andwipetherisingtear: thechillblastpassesswiftlyby, andflitsaroundthybier. darkisthedwellingofthedead, andsadtheirhouseofrest: lowliesthehead,bydeath'scoldarms inawfulfoldembrac'd. isawthegrimavengerstand incessantbythyside unseenbythee,hisdeadlybreath thylingeringframedestroy'd. palegrewtherosesonthycheek, andwither'dwasthybloom, tilheslowpoisonbroughtthyyouth untimelytothetomb. thuswastedaretheranksofmen— youth,heah,andbeautyfall theruthlessruinspreadsaround, andoverwhelmsusall. beholdwhere,roundthynarrowhouse, thegravesunnumber'dlie themuitudethatsleepbelow existedbuttodie. some,withthetotteringstepsofage, troddownthedarksomeway andsome,inyouth'slamentedprime, liketheeweretornaway: yetthese,howeverhardtheirfate, theirnativeearthreceives amidtheirweepingfriendstheydied, andfilheirfathers'graves. fromthylov'dfriends,whenfirstthyheart wastaughtbyheav'ntoglow, far,farremov'd,theruthlessstroke surpris'dandlaidtheelow. atthelastlimitsofourisle, wash'dbythewesternwave, touch'dbythyface,athoughtfulbard sitslonelybythygrave. pensiveheeyes,beforehimspread thedeep,outstretch'dandvast hismourningnotesareborneaway alongtherapidblast. andwhile,amidthesilentdead thyhaplessfatehemourns, hisownlongsorrowsfreshlybleed, andallhisgriefreturns: likethee,cutoffinearlyyouth, andflowerofbeauty'spride, hisfriend,hisfirstandonlyjoy, hismuchlov'dstella,died. him,too,thesternimpulseoffate resistlessbearsalong andthesamerapidtideshallwhelm thepoetandthesong. thetearofpitywhichhesheds, heasksnottoreceive letbuthispoorremainsbelaid obscurelyinthegrave. hisgrief-wornheart,withtruestjoy, shallmeethewelcomeshock: hisairyharpshalllieunstrung, andsilentontherock. o,mydearmaid,mystella,when shalhissickperiodclose, andleadthesolitarybard tohisbelov'drepose?