Poems MacCarthy, Florence Denis

6
"The University Magazine for the present month contains a poem which
delights one, entitled 'The Bridal of the Year.' It is signed 'D. F. M.
C.,' as is also a shorter, but almost a sweeter piece immediately
following it, and headed, 'Summer Longings.'"
Sir William goes through the whole poem, copying and criticising every
stanza, and concludes as follows:--
"After a very pretty ninth stanza respecting the 'fairy
phantoms' in the poet's 'glorious visions seen,' which the
author conceives to 'follow the poet's steps beneath the
morning's beam,' he burst into rapture at the approach of the
Bride herself--
"'Bright as are the planets seven--
with her glances
She advances,
For her azure eyes are Heaven!
And her robes are sunbeams woven,
And her beauteous bridesmaids are
Hopes and wishes--
Dreams delicious--
Joys from some serener star,
And Heavenly-hued Illusions gleaming from afar!'
"Her eyes 'are' heaven, her robes 'are' sunbeams, and with these
physical aspects of the May, how well does the author of this ode (for
such, surely, we may term the poem, so rich in lyrical enthusiasm and
varied melody) conceive the combination as bridesmaids, as companions to
the bride; of those mental feelings, those new buddings of hope in the
heart which the season is fitted to awaken. The azure eyes glitter back
to ours, for the planets shine upon us from the lovely summer night; but
lovelier still are those 'dreams delicious, joys from some serener
star,' which at the same sweet season float down invisibly, and win
their entrance to our souls. The image of a bridal is happily and
naturally kept before us in the remaining stanzas of this poem, which
well deserve to be copied here, in continuation of these notes--the
former for its cheerfulness, the latter for its sweetness. I wish that
I knew the author, or even that I were acquainted with his name.--Since
ascertained to be D. F. MacCarthy."