A woman's face with Nature's own hand painted Hast thou, the master-mistress of my passion; A woman's gentle heart, but not acquainted With shifting change, as is false women's fashion; An eye more bright than theirs, less false in rolling, Gilding the object whereupon it gazeth; A man in hue, all 'hues' in his controlling, Much steals men's eyes and women's souls amazeth. And for a woman wert thou first created; Till Nature, as she wrought thee, fell a-doting, And by addition me of thee defeated, By adding one thing to my purpose nothing. But since she prick'd thee out for women's pleasure, Mine be thy love and thy love's use their treasure. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...UPON THE LOSS OF HIS MISTRESSES by ROBERT HERRICK STRANGE HURT [SHE KNOWS] by JAMES LANGSTON HUGHES IN MEMORIAM A.H.H.: 74 by ALFRED TENNYSON THE PRINCESS: [BUGLE] SONG by ALFRED TENNYSON THE ENGINE by ALEXANDER ANDERSON POSSESSED by RUTH FITCH BARTLETT TO THE HONOURABLE AND VIRTUOUS LADY, THE LADY TASBURGH by WILLIAM BASSE GWIN, KING OF NORWAY by WILLIAM BLAKE JERUSALEM; THE EMANATION OF THE GIANT ALBION: CHAPTER 3 by WILLIAM BLAKE |