IF you catch a breath of sweetness, And follow the odorous hint Through woods where the dead leaves rustle And the golden mosses glint, Along the spicy sea-coast, Over the desolate down, You will find the dainty May-flowers When you come to Plymouth town. Where the shy Spring tends her darlings, And hides them away from sight, Pull off the covering leaf-sprays And gather them, pink and white, Tinted by mystical moonlight, Freshened by frosty dew, Till the fair, transparent blossoms To their pure perfection grew. Then carry them home to your lady, For Flower of the Spring is she, -- Pink and white, and dainty and slight, And lovely as Love can be. Shall they die because of her beauty? Shall they live because she is sweet? They will know for what they were born, But you -- must wait at her feet. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...SONNETS FOR PICTURES: A VENETIAN PASTORAL (BY GIOGIONE) by DANTE GABRIEL ROSSETTI ODE ON THE DEATH OF THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON by ALFRED TENNYSON CHOEPHOROI: ORESTES GOES MAD by AESCHYLUS THE CLOUDS: THE OLD EDUCATION by ARISTOPHANES TO CHILDREN: 2. BRAGGARTS by WILLIAM ROSE BENET DIS ALITER VISUM; OR, LE BYRON DE NOS JOURS by ROBERT BROWNING |