Category: Dante Gabriel Rossetti

Tiber, Nile, And Thames THE head and hands of murdered Cicero, Above his seat high in the Forum hung, Drew jeers and burning tears. When…

The House Of Life 97. A Superscription Look in my face; my name is Might-have-been; I am also call’d No-more, Too-late, Farewell; Unto thine ear…

Sonnets The Choice I Eat thou and drink; to-morrow thou shalt die. Surely the earth, that’s wise being very old, Needs not our help. Then…

Sonnet Xliii Love And Hope Bless love and hope. Full many a withered year Whirled past us, eddying to its chill doomsday; And clasped together…

Sonnet Lxxix The Monochord Is it this sky’s vast vault or ocean’s sound That is Life’s self and draws my life from me, And by…

Returning To Brussels Upon a Flemish road, when noon was deep, I passed a little consecrated shrine, Where, among simple pictures ranged in line, The…

Lxxiii The Choice, Iii Think thou and act; to-morrow thou shalt die Outstretch’d in the sun’s warmth upon the shore, Thou say’st: “Man’s measur’d path…

For Our Lady Of The Rocks By Leonardo Da Vinci Mother, is this the darkness of the end, The Shadow of Death? and is that…

At The Sun-Rise In 1848 God said, Let there be light; and there was light. Then heard we sounds as though the Earth did sing…

Xli Through Death To Love Like labour-laden moonclouds faint to flee From winds that sweep the winter-bitten wold,– Like multiform circumfluence manifold Of night’s flood-tide,–like…

The Stream’s Secret What thing unto mine ear Wouldst thou convey,–what secret thing, O wandering water ever whispering? Surely thy speech shall be of her….

The Day-Dream THE thronged boughs of the shadowy sycamore Still bear young leaflets half the summer through; From when the robin ‘gainst the unhidden blue…

Sonnet Xxxi Her Gifts High grace, the dower of queens; and therewithal Some wood-born wonder’s sweet simplicity; A glance like water brimming with the sky…

Sonnet Xcvi Life The Beloved As thy friend’s face, with shadow of soul o’erspread, Somewhile unto thy sight perchance hath been Ghastly and strange, yet…

Sonnet Lxi The Song-Throe By thine own tears thy song must tears beget, O Singer! Magic mirror thou hast none Except thy manifest heart; and…

Parody Of “uncle Ned” DERE was an old nigger, and him name was Uncle Tom, And him tale was rather slow; Me try to read…

Last Love [canzone] Love hath a chamber all of imagery; And there is one dim nook, A little storied web wherein my heart From leaf…

English May WOULD God your health were as this month of May Should be, were this not England,—and your face Abroad, to give the gracious…

An Altar-Flame EVEN as when utter summer makes the grain Bow heavily along through the whole land It seems to me whatever while I stand…

Woodspurge The wind flapped loose, the wind was still, Shaken out dead from tree and hill: I had walk’d on at the wind’s will,— I…

The Lady’s Lament Never happy any more! Aye, turn the saying o’er and o’er, It says but what it said before, And heart and life…

Stratton Water “O HAVE you seen the Stratton flood That’s great with rain to-day? It runs beneath your wall, Lord Sands, Full of the new-mown…

Sonnet Xviii Genius In Beauty Beauty like hers is genius. Not the call Of Homer’s or of Dante’s heart sublime,— Not Michael’s hand furrowing the…

Sonnet Lxxxvii Death’s Songsters When first that horse, within whose populous womb The birth was death, o’ershadowed Troy with fate, Her elders, dubious of its…

Sonnet Ci The One Hope When vain desire at last and vain regret Go hand in hand to death, and all is vain, What shall…

On Browning’s Sordello “SORDELLO’S story,” the Sphinx yawned and said, “Who would has heard.” Is that enough? Who could, ‘Twere not amiss to add, has…

Height In Depth HE turned his face apart, and gave a sigh And a strange whimper—such a pitiful thing As haunts the heart for days….

Czar Alexander The Second FROM him did forty million serfs, endow’d Each with six feet of death-due soil, receive Rich freeborn lifelong land, whereon to…

A New-Year’s Burden ALONG the grass sweet airs are blown Our way this day in Spring. Of all the songs that we have known Now…

To Thomas Woolner First Snow, February WOOLNER, to-night it snows for the first time. Our feet know well the path where in this snow Mine…

The House Of Life 73. The Choice, Iii Think thou and act; to-morrow thou shalt die Outstretch’d in the sun’s warmth upon the shore, Thou…

Sonnets Old And New Art I. ST. LUKE THE PAINTER Give honour unto Luke Evangelist; For he it was (the aged legends say) Who first…

Sonnet Xli Through Death To Love Like labour-laden moonclouds faint to flee From winds that sweep the winter-bitten wold,— Like multiform circumfluence manifold Of night’s…

Sonnet Lxx The Hill Summit This feast-day of the sun, his altar there In the broad west has blazed for vesper-song; And I have loitered…

Raleigh’s Cell In The Tower HERE writ was the World’s History by his hand Whose steps knew all the earth; albeit his world In these…

Lxvi The Heart Of The Night From child to youth; from youth to arduous man; From lethargy to fever of the heart; From faithful life…

For I A REMOTE sky, prolonged to the sea’s brim: One rock-point standing buffeted alone, Vexed at its base with a foul beast unknown, Hell-birth…

At The Station Of The Versailles Railway I WAITED for the train unto Versailles. I hung with bonnes and gamins on the bridge Watching the…

Xix Lilent Noon Your hands lie open in the long fresh grass,– The finger-points look through like rosy blooms: Your eyes smile peace. The pasture…

The Song Of The Bower SAY, is it day, is it dusk in thy bower, Thou whom I long for, who longest for me? Oh!…

The Cloud Confines The day is dark and the night To him that would search their heart; No lips of cloud that will part Nor…

Sonnet Xxx Last Fire Love,through your spirit and mine what summer eve Now glows with glory of all things possess’d, Since this day’s sun of…

Sonnet Xcv The Vase Of Life Around the vase of Life at your slow pace He has not crept, but turned it with his hands,…

Sonnet Lv Stillborn Love The hour which might have been yet might not be, Which man’s and woman’s heart conceived and bore Yet whereof life…

Pandora (For A Picture) WHAT of the end, Pandora? Was it thine, The deed that set these fiery pinions free? Ah! wherefore did the Olympian…

L’envoi Brussels, Hotel Du Midi IT’S copied out at last: very poor stuff Writ in the cold, with pauses of the cramp. Direct, dear William,…

Eden Bower It was Lilith the wife of Adam: (Sing Eden Bower!) Not a drop of her blood was human, But she was made like…

Almost Over YOU say I should not think upon her now: But then I have stood beside her listening, And watched her rose—breathed lips when…

Venus Verticordia (For A Picture) SHE hath the apple in her hand for thee, Yet almost in her heart would hold it back; She muses,…

The Kiss What smouldering senses in death’s sick delay Or seizure of malign vicissitude Can rob this body of honour, or denude This soul of…

St. Wagner’s Eve THE hop—shop is shut up: the night doth wear. Here, early, Collinson this evening fell “Into the gulfs of sleep”; and Deverell…

Sonnet Xvii Beauty’s Pageant What dawn-pulse at the heart of heaven, or last Incarnate flower of culminating day,— What marshalled marvels on the skirts of…

Sonnet Lxxxvi Lost Days The lost days of my life until to-day, What were they, could I see them on the street Lie as they…

Song And Music O leave your hand where it lies cool Upon the eyes whose lids are hot: Its rosy shade is bountiful Of silence,…

On A Handful Of French Money These coins that jostle on my hand do own No single image: each name here and date Denoting in…

God’s Graal The ark of the Lord of Hosts Whose name is called by the name of Him Who dwelleth between the Cherubim. O Thou…

Chimes I. HONEY-FLOWERS to the honey-comb, And the honey-bee’s from home. A honey-comb and a honey-flower, And the bee shall have his hour. A honeyed…

A Match With The Moon WEARY already, weary miles to-night I walked for bed: and so, to get some ease, I dogged the flying moon…

Three Shadows I LOOKED and saw your eyes In the shadow of your hair, As a traveller sees the stream In the shadow of the…

The House Of Life 72. The Choice, Ii Watch thou and fear; to-morrow thou shalt die. Or art thou sure thou shalt have time for…