He felt the wild beast in him betweenwhiles So masterfully rude, that he would grieve To see the helpless delicate thing receive His guardianship through certain dark defiles. Had he not teeth to rend, and hunger too? But still he spared her. Once: 'Have you no fear?' He said: 'twas dusk; she in his grasp; none near. She laughed: 'No, surely; am I not with you?' And uttering that soft starry 'you,' she leaned Her gentle body near him, looking up; And from her eyes, as from a poison-cup, He drank until the flittering eyelids screened. Devilish malignant witch! and oh, young beam Of heaven's circle-glory! Here thy shape To squeeze like an intoxicating grape -- I might, and yet thou goest safe, supreme. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE LADY'S 'YES' by ELIZABETH BARRETT BROWNING SWITZERLAND AND ITALY by RICHARD MONCKTON MILNES STORM AT SEA (2) by ALCAEUS OF MYTILENE CONTENT; WRITTEN OFF ITHACA by ALFRED AUSTIN DIRGE by THOMAS LOVELL BEDDOES THE ANCIENTS by WILLIAM ROSE BENET THE GRAVE-YARD by JOHN GARDINER CALKINS BRAINARD |