Darkness like midnight from the sobbing woods br Clamours with dismal tidings of the rain br Roaring as rivers breaking loose in floods br To spread and foam and deluge all the plain br The cotter listens at his door again br Half doubting whether it be floods or wind br And through the thickening darkness looks affraid br Thinking of roads that travel has to find br Through night's black depths in danger's garb arrayed br And the loud glabber round the flaze soon stops br When hushed to silence by a lifted hand br Of fearing dame who hears the noise in dread br And thinks a deluge comes to drown the land br Nor dares she go to bed until the tempest dropsbr br John Clarebr br