Category: Robert Browning

The Lost Mistress I. All’s over, then: does truth sound bitter As one at first believes? Hark, ’tis the sparrows’ good-night twitter About your cottage…

Overhead The Tree-Tops Meet Overhead the tree-tops meet, Flowers and grass spring ‘neath one’s feet; There was nought above me, and nought below, My childhood…

Holy-Cross Day ON WHICH THE JEWS WERE FORCED TO ATTEND AN ANNUAL CHRISTIAN SERMON IN ROME. [“Now was come about Holy-Cross Day, and now must…

Bad Dreams- III THIS was my dream: I saw a Forest Old as the earth, no track nor trace Of unmade man. Thou, Soul, explorest-…

The Confessional I. It is a lie—their Priests, their Pope, Their Saints, their … all they fear or hope Are lies, and lies—there! through my…

Master Hugues Of Saxe-Gotha An imaginary composer.] I. Hist, but a word, fair and soft! Forth and be judged, Master Hugues! Answer the question I’ve…

Evelyn Hope I. Beautiful Evelyn Hope is dead! Sit and watch by her side an hour. That is her book-shelf, this her bed; She plucked…

A Woman’s Last Word I. Let’s contend no more, Love, Strive nor weep: All be as before, Love, —Only sleep! II. What so wild as…

Tray Sing me a hero! Quench my thirst Of soul, ye bards! Quoth Bard the first: ‘Sir Olaf, the good knight, did don His helm,…

Rabbi Ben Ezra Grow old along with me! The best is yet to be, The last of life, for which the first was made: Our…

Introduction- Pippa Passes New Year’s Day at Asolo in the Trevisan Scene.- A large mean airy chamber. A girl, Pippa, from the Silk-mills, springing out…

Cavalier Tunes- Marching Along Kentish Sir Byng stood for his King, Bidding the crop-headed Parliament swing: And, pressing a troop unable to stoop And see…

Youth And Art 1 It once might have been, once only: 2 We lodged in a street together, 3 You, a sparrow on the housetop…

The Wanderers OVER the sea our galleys went, With cleaving prows in order brave To a speeding wind and a bounding wave–    A gallant armament:…

O’ Lyric Love O’ Lyric Love, half angel and half bird, And all a wonder and a wild desire,- Boldest of hearts that ever braved…

Herve Riel On the sea and at the Hogue, sixteen hundred ninety two, Did the English fight the French,–woe to France! And, the thirty-first of…

Bad Dreams- I LAST night I saw you in my sleep: And how your charm of face was changed! I asked ‘Some love, some faith…

The Guardian-Angel A PICTURE AT FANO. I. Dear and great Angel, wouldst thou only leave That child, when thou hast done with him, for me!…

My Last Duchess FERRARA. That’s my last Duchess painted on the wall, Looking as if she were alive. I call That piece a wonder, now:…

Flight Of The Duchess, The I. You’re my friend: I was the man the Duke spoke to; I helped the Duchess to cast off his…

A Toccata Of Galuppi’s I. Oh Galuppi, Baldassaro, this is very sad to find! I can hardly misconceive you; it would prove me deaf and…

Time’s Revenges I’ve a Friend, over the sea; I like him, but he loves me. It all grew out of the books I write; They…

Pippa’s Song The year’s at the spring, And day’s at the morn; Morning’s at seven; The hill-side’s dew-pearl’d; The lark’s on the wing; The snail’s…

Instans Tyrannus I. Of the million or two, more or less, I rule and possess, One man, for some cause undefined, Was least to my…

Cavalier Tunes- Boot And Saddle Boot, saddle, to horse and away! Rescue my Castle, before the hot day Brightens to blue from its silvery gray,…

A Cavalier Song Kentish Sir Byng stood for his King, Bidding the crop-headed Parliament swing: And, pressing a troop unable to stoop And see the…

The Lost Leader I. Just for a handful of silver he left us, Just for a riband to stick in his coat— Found the one…

Natural Magic All I can say is–I saw it! The room was as bare as your hand. I locked in the swarth little lady,–I swear,…

Heretic’s Tragedy, The A MIDDLE-AGE INTERLUDE. ROSA MUNDI; SEU, FULCITE ME FLORIBUS. A CONCEIT OF MASTER GYSBRECHT, CANON-REGULAR OF SAID JODOCUS-BY-THE-BAR, YPRES CITY. CANTUQUE, _Virgilius._…

Apparitions (_Prologue to ‘The Two Poets of Croisic.’_) Such a starved bank of moss Till, that May-morn, Blue ran the flash across: Violets were born!…

The Boy And The Angel Morning, evening, noon and night, “Praise God!; sang Theocrite. Then to his poor trade he turned, Whereby the daily meal…

Love In A Life I. Room after room, I hunt the house through We inhabit together. Heart, fear nothing, for, heart, thou shalt find her—…

Englishman In Italy, The PIANO DI SORRENTO Fort , Fort , my beloved one, Sit here by my side, On my knees put up both…

A Wall O the old wall here! How I could pass Life in a long midsummer day, My feet confined to a plot of grass,…

To Edward Fitzgerald I chanced upon a new book yesterday; I opened it, and, where my finger lay ‘Twixt page and uncut page, these words…

Popularity I. Stand still, true poet that you are! I know you; let me try and draw you. Some night you’ll fail us: when afar…

Incident Of The French Camp I. You know, we French stormed Ratisbon: A mile or so away, On a little mound, Napoleon Stood on our…

Cavalier Tunes . MARCHING ALONG. I. Kentish Sir Byng stood for his King, Bidding the crop-headed Parliament swing: And, pressing a troop unable to stoop…

You’Ll Love Me Yet You’ll love me yet!—and I can tarry Your love’s protracted growing: June reared that bunch of flowers you carry From seeds…

The Laboratory-Ancien Régime I. Now that I, tying thy glass mask tightly, May gaze thro’ these faint smokes curling whitely, As thou pliest thy trade…

Now! Out of your whole life give but a moment! All of your life that has gone before, All to come after it, — so…

Heap Cassia, Sandal-Buds And Stripes Heap Cassia, sandal-buds and stripes Of labdanum, and aloe-balls, Smeared with dull nard an Indian wipes From out her hair:…

Apparent Failure ‘We shall soon lose a celebrated building.’ –_Paris Newspaper_. No, for I’ll save it! Seven years since I passed through Paris, stopped a…

Summum Bonum All the breath and the bloom of the year in the bag of one bee: All the wonder and wealth of the mine…

Love Among The Ruins I. Where the quiet-coloured end of evening smiles, Miles and miles On the solitary pastures where our sheep Half-asleep Tinkle homeward…

De Gustibus— I. Your ghost will walk, you lover of trees, (If our loves remain) In an English lane, By a cornfield-side a-flutter with poppies….

A Tale (_Epilogue to ‘The Two Poets of Croisic.’_) What a pretty tale you told me Once upon a time –Said you found it somewhere…

Thus The Mayne Glideth THUS the Mayne glideth Where my Love abideth; Sleep ‘s no softer: it proceeds On through lawns, on through meads, On…

Pheidippides First I salute this soil of the blessed, river and rock! Gods of my birthplace, dæmons and heroes, honour to all! Then I name…

In Three Days I. So, I shall see her in three days And just one night, but nights are short, Then two long hours, and…

Cavalier Tunes- Give A Rouse King Charles, and who’ll do him right now? King Charles, and who’s ripe for fight now? Give a rouse: here’s,…

Women And Roses I. I dream of a red-rose tree. And which of its roses three Is the dearest rose to me? II. Round and…

The Last Ride Together I. I said—Then, dearest, since ’tis so, Since now at length my fate I know, Since nothing all my love avails,…

Never The Time And The Place Never the time and the place And the loved one all together! This path–how soft to pace! This May…

Garden Francies I. THE FLOWER’S NAME Here’s the garden she walked across, Arm in my arm, such a short while since: Hark, now I push…

Before I. Let them fight it out, friend! things have gone too far. God must judge the couple: leave them as they are —Whichever one’s…

Song From ‘Paracelsus’ HEAP cassia, sandal-buds and stripes    Of labdanum, and aloe-balls, Smear’d with dull nard an Indian wipes    From out her hair: such balsam…

Man I Am And Man Would Be, Love Man I am and man would be, Love–merest man and nothing more. Bid me seem no other!…

Count Gismond–Aix In Provence Christ God who savest man, save most Of men Count Gismond who saved me! Count Gauthier, when he chose his post,…

Abt Volger (after he has been extemporizing upon the musical instrument of his invention) Would that the structure brave, the manifold music I build, Bidding…