And the moonbeams kiss the sea...

When I was in high school (in Australia), the school curriculum didn't stretch to a broad coverage of the English romantic poets - I studied Wordsworth in detail, but my knowledge of the others were pretty scant.

Since school I've come to know the work of Keat's a little more, but have never really read any Shelley. A situation which I think is about to change. When watching a television programme during the week a part of Love's Philosophy was quoted - the flow of the words captured me and I looked up the full poem.

Two stanzas, simply crafted, and simply beautiful...

The fountains mingle with the river,
And the rivers with the ocean;
The winds of heaven mix forever,
With a sweet emotion;
Nothing in the world is single;
All things by a law divine
In one another's being mingle;--
Why not I with thine?

See! the mountains kiss high heaven,
And the waves clasp one another;
No sister flower would be forgiven,
If it disdained it's brother;
And the sunlight clasps the earth,
And the moonbeams kiss the sea;--
What are all these kissings worth,
If thou kiss not me?

I'm working on overcoming my ignorance of never having been aware of such beautiful writing before...and thought I'd also share it (whether it be an old favourite, or a new delight!)