128
THE STAR IN THE WEST
Sob , and
the languid body slips
Down to enamelled
wildernesses .
Fallen and
loose
the shaken
tresses
;
Fallen the sandal and girdling gold ,
Fallen the music
manifold
Of moving limbs
and strange caresses
,
And deadly passion that
possesses
The magic ecstasy of these
Mad maidens , tender
as blue
seas .'
For this is passion , if not quite so pure as some we have
already seen , yet still passion of an unlustful
nature .
In
“
The Flight ”
we find
in
the following
lines
a
still deeper
glow :
The snow -bright weather
Calls us beyond
the grassy downs , to be
Beside the sea ,
The slowly breathing Ocean of the south .
Oh , make
thy mouth
A rosy flame like the most
perfect
star
Whose kisses are
So red and ripe !
Oh ,
let
thy limbs entwine
Like love with mine
!?
In
the third act
of
“
The Argonauts
,”
we find the
love
of
Medea
is
no
longer passion
,
but fiery
entranc
ing lust
:
At the midmost
hour
His mind given
up
to
sleepless
muttering
Of charms not mine
--
decries
Olympian
All on
a
sudden
he
felt fervid arms
Flung round him
,
and
a
sweet
hot body's rush
Lithe
to
embrace
him
,
and
a
cataract
Of amber
-
scented hair hissing about
His head
,
and
in
the darkness two great eyes
Flaming above
him
,
and the whole face filled
With fire and
shapen
as
kisses
.
And those arms
|
The Temple
of
the Holy Ghost
,
vol
.
i,
p
.
170
.
2
Mysteries
:
Lyrical
and Dramatic
,
vol
.
i,
p
.
91
.
---