Penny Dreadfuls, 1812 · page 59 of 258
Psyche, and other poems — page 59: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Page 41: Running Prose This is a page of running verse (poetry), likely from the middle of a serialized narrative. The text presents a woman named Psyche in a state of despair, lying on the ground in misty morning light, calling out to an absent lover. She laments her abandonment, invoking death as relief and questioning why her beloved kindled such intense passion in her mortal heart only to abandon her. The passage is written in romantic, melodramatic language typical of Victorian sentimental literature, with the woman's anguished monologue occupying the entire page.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
41 ‘I'he mists of morn yet chill the gloomy air, And heavily obscure the clouded skies In the mute anguish of a fixed despair Still on the ground immovable she lies ; At length, with lifted hands and streaming eyes, Her mournful prayers invoke offended Love, **Oh, let me hear thy voice once more,” she cries, **In death at least thy pity let me move, *‘ And death, if but forgiven, a kind relief will prove. - *‘ For what can life to thy lost Psyche give, “What can it offer but a gloomy void? “Why thus abandoned. should I wish to live? “To mourn the pleasure which I once enjoyed, ** The bliss my own rash folly hath destroyed ; © OF all my soul most prized, or held most dear, ““Nought but the sad remembrance doth abide, “ And late repentance of my impious fear ; ‘* Remorse and vain regret what living soul can bear! * **Oh, art thou then indeed for ever gone! ‘ And art thou heedless of thy Psyche’s woe !. _ From these fond arms for ever art thou flown, “And unregarded must my sorrows flow ! ** Ah! why too happy did I ever know **The rapturous charms thy tenderness inspires ? ** Ah! why did thy affections stoop so low? “Why kindle in a mortal breast such fires, - “Or with celestial love inflame such rash desires ! ¢ 1 comichooks.com