WHENCE that fragrant name of thine, Spicy as the beaded wine? In what cup of fairy mould, First were poured thy berries cold, And what dainty revellers meet Round thy clusters, Bitter-sweet? Haply in the deep greenwood Hebe near thee sponsor stood; Venus cast thy perfect shape Tinier than the mountain grape; And such gods as Homer knew Gathered thee in dusk and dew. Lovely birth of frost and fire, Satisfying all desire; Though the aster blooms no more, And the gentian's smile is o'er, They who rest and they who toil Count thee Nature's richest spoil. Life itself is bitter-sweet, In its rhythm most complete. Through its loftiest choral strain Steals the undertone of pain, And its sober autumn days Often wake profoundest praise. Therefore, when the loosened leaf, Robed in glory bright and brief, Silent through the crystal air Floats ethereal as a prayer, It is joy thy blush to meet, Jewel-gleaming Bitter-sweet. For so plain we hear thee say, "Love is in the world to stay, Though the seasons wax and wane, Though the winter come again," That our faltering hearts grow strong, And our lips uplift a song. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE BLACK REGIMENT by GEORGE HENRY BOKER ON MY THIRTY-THIRD BIRTHDAY by GEORGE GORDON BYRON AFTER THE LAST BREATH (J.H. 1813-1904) by THOMAS HARDY EPITAPH UPON A CHILD THAT DIED by ROBERT HERRICK THE TOKEN by FRANK TEMPLETON PRINCE VENUS AND ADONIS by WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE ORA PRO NOBIS by ANNA HEMPSTEAD BRANCH ZOPHIEL; OR THE BRIDE OF SEVEN: CANTO 2. DEATH OF ALTHEETOR by MARIA GOWEN BROOKS |