A winged spark doth soar about－1
I never met it near
For Lightning it is oft mistook
When nights are hot and sere－
Its twinkling Travels it pursues 5
Above the Haunts of men－
A speck of Rapture－first perceived
By feeling it is gone－
Rekindled by some action quaint
I never met it near
For Lightning it is oft mistook
When nights are hot and sere－
Its twinkling Travels it pursues 5
Above the Haunts of men－
A speck of Rapture－first perceived
By feeling it is gone－
Rekindled by some action quaint
(F.1502/J.1468)
[1] winged spark:: the shape of a meteor, also called shooting star.
[3] Lightning, mistook:: another hint on meteor's brightness.
[4] hot and sere:: the sky is clearer for meteor to be seen.
[5] it pursues:: people believe the meteor pursues a wish, dream.
[6] Above, men:: the meteor above men in space, and one's dream above the mundane world that men bustle around.
[8] it is gone:: the wish must be made before the meteor is gone.
With respect to shooting stars, philosophy remains undecided as to their origin. But vulgar superstition clings to the belief that any wish formed during the transit of one of these luminous bodies will be accomplished. This idea probably purported in the first instance to demonstrate the transitory nature of human wishes, as exemplified in the momentary glimpse of the meteor. ─ A World of Wonders: With Anecdotes and Opinions Concerning Popular Superstitions (1853)