IN the world's garden close, Where a wild Eden blows, Where the earth's treasury Hoards by the Arat sea, You grew, a rose. In the flushed lyric dawn, Poignant with scented heat, Gold dew you fed upon, Gleaming like crystals- sweet Stars of the lawn. From all the islands blent, One thousand essences, Odors of ravishment Culled from the Eastern seas Filled you with scent. All the East's lavishness Dowered and nurtured you, Till past all loveliness That the East ever knew, Regal you grew. One June in Maenad-mirth The great luxurious Mother Gave you strange, mystic birth, -- Such as she gave no other -- You child of earth. No unguent was too precious For the high gods to give; No passion too delicious Through which you might not live, To joy and grieve. Long wanton centuries since, In days of Rome and Tyre, Thou mated once a prince Of a great Persian sire For Love's desire. O thou wast more than fair! Thou Rose of Paradise -- In lips, and cheeks, and hair, -- All beauty wonder-wise 'Neath those hot skies. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...SPECIAL PLEADING by SIDNEY LANIER ELEGY: THE GHOST WHOSE LIPS WERE WARM; FOR GEOFFREY GORER by EDITH SITWELL CACOETHES SCRIBENDI by OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES PICTURES FROM APPLEDORE: 3 by JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL THE MEETING OF THE WATERS by THOMAS MOORE THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM BY THE BABYLONIAN HORDES by ISAAC ROSENBERG CALIBAN IN THE COAL MINES by LOUIS UNTERMEYER |