O! there are spirits of the air
Percy Bysshe Shelley
1792 to 1822
Track 1
Reconstruct the poem by dragging each line into its correct position. Your goal is to reassemble the original poem as accurately as possible. As you move the lines, you'll see whether your arrangement is correct, helping you explore the poem's flow and meaning. You can also print out the jumbled poem to cut up and reassemble in the classroom. Either way, take your time, enjoy the process, and discover how the poet's words come together to create something truly beautiful.
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Ah! wherefore didst thou build thine hope
To a fond faith! still dost thou pine?
Of these inexplicable things,
Would scourge thee to severer pangs.
Night's ghosts and dreams have now departed;
This fiend, whose ghastly presence ever
Dream not to chase;—the mad endeavour
Cast, like a worthless boon, thy love away.
With mountain winds, and babbling springs,
Thou didst hold commune, and rejoice
Voice, looks, or lips, may answer thy demands?
Beams that were never meant for thine,
And thou hast sought in starry eyes
Oft hast thou turned from men thy lonely feet.
Yes, all the faithless smiles are fled
Whose falsehood left thee broken-hearted;
Such lovely ministers to meet
As star-beams among twilight trees:—
On the false earth's inconstancy?
Another's wealth:—tame sacrifice
Could steal the power to wind thee in their wiles?
Of love, or moving thoughts to thee?
Beside thee like thy shadow hangs,
But changed to a foul fiend through misery.
Dark as it is, all change would aggravate.
Be as thou art. Thy settled fate,
Still dost thou hope that greeting hands,
Thine own soul still is true to thee,
And genii of the evening breeze,
Did thine own mind afford no scope
That natural scenes or human smiles
And gentle ghosts, with eyes as fair
And moonlight seas, that are the voice
When they did answer thee; but they
The glory of the moon is dead;
O! there are spirits of the air,