On Sitting Down to Read King Lear Once Again

     O golden-tongued Romance with serene lute!
         Fair plumed Syren! Queen of far away!
         Leave melodizing on this wintry day,
     Shut up thine olden pages, and be mute:
     Adieu! for once again the fierce dispute,
         Betwixt damnation and impassion'd clay
         Must I burn through; once more humbly assay
     The bitter-sweet of this Shakespearian fruit.
     Chief Poet! and ye clouds of Albion,
         Begetters of our deep eternal theme,
     When through the old oak forest I am gone,
         Let me not wander in a barren dream,
     But when I am consumed in the fire,
     Give me new Phoenix wings to fly at my desire.