Skip directly to:Main content Main navigation

University of Virginia Library

The Works of Dante Gabriel Rossetti

Edited with Preface and Notes by William M. Rossetti: Revised and Enlarged Edition

Rossetti, Dante Gabriel (1828-1882)

collapse section

I.

PRINCIPAL POEMS

THE BLESSED DAMOZEL

DANTE AT VERONA

THE BRIDE'S PRELUDE

A LAST CONFESSION

THE BURDEN OF NINEVEH

THE STAFF AND SCRIP

collapse section

THE HOUSE OF LIFE:

[A Sonnet is a moment's monument,—]

collapse section

I.

Part I.—YOUTH AND CHANGE

I.

SONNET I LOVE ENTHRONED

II.

SONNET II BRIDAL BIRTH

III.

SONNET III LOVE'S TESTAMENT

IV.

SONNET IV LOVESIGHT

V.

SONNET V HEART'S HOPE

VI.

SONNET VI THE KISS

VIa.

SONNET VIa NUPTIAL SLEEP

VII.

SONNET VII SUPREME SURRENDER

VIII.

SONNET VIII LOVE'S LOVERS

IX.

SONET IX PASSION AND WORSHIP

X.

SONNET X THE PORTRAIT

XI.

SONNET XI THE LOVE-LETTER

XII.

SONNET XII THE LOVERS' WALK

XIII.

SONNET XIII YOUTH'S ANTIPHONY

XIV.

SONNET XIV YOUTH'S SPRING-TRIBUTE

XV.

SONNET XV THE BIRTH-BOND

XVI.

SONNET XVI A DAY OF LOVE

XVII.

SONNET XVII BEAUTY'S PAGEANT

XVIII.

SONNET XVIII GENIUS IN BEAUTY

XIX.

SONNET XIX SILENT NOON

XX.

SONNET XX GRACIOUS MOONLIGHT

XXI.

SONNET XXI LOVE-SWEETNESS

XXII.

SONNET XXII HEART'S HAVEN

XXIII.

SONNET XXIII LOVE'S BAUBLES

XXIV.

SONNET XXIV PRIDE OF YOUTH

XXV.

SONNET XXV WINGED HOURS

XXVI.

SONNET XXVI MID-RAPTURE

XXVII.

SONNET XXVII HEART'S COMPASS

XXVIII.

SONNET XXVIII SOUL-LIGHT

XXIX.

SONNET XXIX THE MOONSTAR

XXX.

SONNET XXX LAST FIRE

XXXI.

SONNET XXXI HER GIFTS

XXXII.

SONNET XXXII EQUAL TROTH

XXXIII.

SONNET XXXIII VENUS VICTRIX

XXXIV.

SONNET XXXIV THE DARK GLASS

XXXV.

SONNET XXXV THE LAMP'S SHRINE

XXXVI.

SONNET XXXVI LIFE-IN-LOVE

XXXVII.

SONNET XXXVII THE LOVE-MOON

XXXVIII.

SONNET XXXVIII THE MORROW'S MESSAGE

XXXIX.

SONNET XXXIX SLEEPLESS DREAMS

XL.

SONNET XL SEVERED SELVES

XLI.

SONNET XLI THROUGH DEATH TO LOVE

XLII.

SONNET XLII HOPE OVERTAKEN

XLIII.

SONNET XLIII LOVE AND HOPE

XLIV.

SONNET XLIV CLOUD AND WIND

XLV.

SONNET XLV SECRET PARTING

XLVI.

SONNET XLVI PARTED LOVE

XLVII.

SONNET XLVII BROKEN MUSIC

XLVIII.

SONNET XLVIII DEATH-IN-LOVE

collapse section

XLIX, L, LI, LII.

SONNETS XLIX, L, LI, LII WILLOWWOOD

I.

II.

III.

IV.

LIII.

SONNET LIII WITHOUT HER

LIV.

SONNET LIV LOVE'S FATALITY

LV.

SONNET LV STILLBORN LOVE

collapse section

LVI, LVII, LVIII.

SONNETS LVI, LVII, LVIII TRUE WOMAN

I.

II.

III.

III. HER HEAVEN

LIX.

SONNET LIX LOVE'S LAST GIFT

collapse section

II.

Part II.—CHANGE AND FATE

LX.

SONNET LX TRANSFIGURED LIFE

LXI.

SONNET LXI THE SONG-THROE

LXII.

SONNET LXII THE SOUL'S SPHERE

LXIII.

SONNET LXIII INCLUSIVENESS

LXIV.

SONNET LXIV ARDOUR AND MEMORY

LXV.

SONNET LXV KNOWN IN VAIN

LXVI.

SONNET LXVI THE HEART OF THE NIGHT

LXVII.

SONNET LXVII THE LANDMARK

LXVIII.

SONNET LXVIII A DARK DAY

LXIX.

SONNET LXIX AUTUMN IDLENESS

LXX.

SONNET LXX THE HILL SUMMIT

collapse section

LXXI, LXXII, LXXIII.

SONNETS LXXI, LXXII, LXXIII THE CHOICE

I.

II.

III.

collapse section

LXXIV, LXXV, LXXVI.

SONNETS LXXIV, LXXV, LXXVI OLD AND NEW ART

I.

I. ST. LUKE THE PAINTER

II.

II. NOT AS THESE

III.

III. THE HUSBANDMEN

LXXVII.

SONNET LXXVII SOUL'S BEAUTY

LXXVIII.

SONNET LXXVIII BODY'S BEAUTY

LXXIX.

SONNET LXXIX THE MONOCHORD

LXXX.

SONNET LXXX FROM DAWN TO NOON

LXXXI.

SONNET LXXXI MEMORIAL THRESHOLDS

LXXXII.

SONNET LXXXII HOARDED JOY

LXXXIII.

SONNET LXXXIII BARREN SPRING

LXXXIV.

SONNET LXXXIV FAREWELL TO THE GLEN

LXXXV.

SONNET LXXXV VAIN VIRTUES

LXXXVI.

SONNET LXXXVI LOST DAYS

LXXXVII.

SONNET LXXXVII DEATH'S SONGSTERS

LXXXVIII.

SONNET LXXXVIII HERO'S LAMP.

LXXXIX.

SONNET LXXXIX THE TREES OF THE GARDEN

XC.

SONNET XC “RETRO ME, SATHANA!”

XCI.

SONNET XCI LOST ON BOTH SIDES

collapse section

XCII, XCIII.

SONNETS XCII, XCIII THE SUN'S SHAME

I.

II.

XCIV.

SONNET XCIV MICHELANGELO'S KISS

XCV.

SONNET XCV THE VASE OF LIFE

XCVI.

SONNET XCVI LIFE THE BELOVED

XCVII.

SONNET XCVII A SUPERSCRIPTION

XCVIII.

SONNET XCVIII HE AND I

collapse section

XCIX, C.

SONNETS XCIX, C NEWBORN DEATH

I.

II.

CI.

SONNET CI THE ONE HOPE

THE STREAM'S SECRET

collapse section

I.

II.

III.

THE KING'S TRAGEDY

collapse section

II.

II.—MISCELLANEOUS POEMS

MY SISTER'S SLEEP

FOR AN ANNUNCIATION

FOR OUR LADY OF THE ROCKS

AT THE SUN-RISE IN 1848

THE LADY'S LAMENT

collapse section

MARY'S GIRLHOOD

I.

II.

THE CARD-DEALER

VOX ECCLESIÆ, VOX CHRISTI

ON REFUSAL OF AID BETWEEN NATIONS

collapse section

A TRIP TO PARIS AND BELGIUM

I.

I LONDON TO FOLKESTONE

II.

II BOULOGNE TO AMIENS AND PARIS

III.

III THE STAIRCASE OF NOTRE DAME, PARIS

IV.

IV PLACE DE LA BASTILLE, PARIS

V.

V ON A HANDFUL OF FRENCH MONEY

VI.

VI TO THE P. R. B.

VII.

VII IN THE TRAIN, AND AT VERSAILLES

VIII.

VIII LAST VISIT TO THE LOUVRE

IX.

IX LAST SONNETS AT PARIS

X.

X FROM PARIS TO BRUSSELS

XI.

XII.

XII ON THE ROAD TO WATERLOO: 17 October

XIII.

XIII A HALF-WAY PAUSE

XIV.

XIV ON THE FIELD OF WATERLOO

XV.

RETURNING TO BRUSSELS

XVI.

XVI ANTWERP TO GHENT

XVII.

XVII ANTWERP AND BRUGES

XVIII.

XVIII ON LEAVING BRUGES

XIX.

XIX ASHORE AT DOVER

FOR A VENETIAN PASTORAL BY GIORGIONE

FOR AN ALLEGORICAL DANCE OF WOMEN BY ANDREA MANTEGNA

collapse section

FOR “RUGGIERO AND ANGELICA”

I.

II.

FOR A VIRGIN AND CHILD BY HANS MEMMELINCK

FOR A MARRIAGE OF ST. CATHERINE BY THE SAME

A YOUNG FIR-WOOD

ON THE VITA NUOVA OF DANTE

WELLINGTON'S FUNERAL

TO THOMAS WOOLNER

collapse section

THE CHURCH-PORCHES

1.

II.

THE HONEYSUCKLE

WORDS ON THE WINDOW-PANE

ON THE SITE OF A MULBERRY-TREE;

A MATCH WITH THE MOON

BEAUTY AND THE BIRD

DAWN ON THE NIGHT-JOURNEY

AFTER THE FRENCH LIBERATION OF ITALY

A NEW-YEAR'S BURDEN

THE SONG OF THE BOWER

ON CERTAIN ELIZABETHAN REVIVALS

DANTIS TENEBRÆ

THE SEED OF DAVID

PLIGHTED PROMISE

THE PASSOVER IN THE HOLY FAMILY

VENUS VERTICORDIA

FOR “THE WINE OF CIRCE”

collapse section

1.

2.

MICHAEL SCOTT'S WOOING

FIRST LOVE REMEMBERED

AN OLD SONG ENDED

AFTER THE GERMAN SUBJUGATION OF FRANCE, 1871

THE CLOUD CONFINES

PARTED PRESENCE

A DEATH-PARTING

ASTARTE SYRIACA

TO PHILIP BOURKE MARSTON, INCITING ME TO POETIC WORK

THE LAST THREE FROM TRAFALGAR

THOMAS CHATTERTON

SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE

FOR SPRING BY SANDRO BOTTICELLI

FOR THE HOLY FAMILY BY MICHELANGELO.

TIBER, NILE, AND THAMES

CZAR ALEXANDER THE SECOND

PERCY BYSSHE SHELLEY

RALEIGH'S CELL IN THE TOWER

collapse section

III.

VERSICLES AND FRAGMENTS

[As much as in a hundred years, she's dead]

THE ORCHARD-PIT

[“I saw the Sibyl at Cumæ”]

[As balmy as the breath of her you love]

[“Was it a friend or foe that spread these lies?”]

[If I could die like the British Queen]

[She bound her green sleeve on my helm]

[Where is the man whose soul has never waked]

[At her step the water-hen]

[Would God I knew there were a God to thank]

[I shut myself in with my soul]

[“I hate” says over and above]

[Do still thy best, albeit the clue]

[The bitter stage of life]

[The winter garden-beds all bare]

[Who shall say what is said in me]

[Who knoweth not love's sounds and silences?]

[Where the poets all—]

[Even as the dreariest swamps, in sweet Springtide]

[Or reading in some sunny nook]

[Aye, we'll shake hands, though scarce for love, we two]

[And heavenly things in your eyes have place]

[Though all the rest go by—]

[What face but thine has taught me all that art]

[With furnaces]

[And love and faith, the vehement heart of all.]

[For this can love, and does love, and loves me. ]

[The forehead veiled and the veiled throat of Death.]

[Thou that beyond thy real self dost see]

[And plaintive days that haunt the haggard hills]

[To know for certain that we do not know]

[Think through this silence how when we are old]

[An ant-sting's prickly at first]

[And mad revulsion of the tarnished light.]

[His face, in Fortune's favours sunn'd]

[The glass stands empty of all things it knew.]

[O thou whose name, being alone, aloud]

[I saw the love which was my life flow past]

[Or give ten years of life's most bitter wane]

[And of the cup of human agony]

[Even as the moon grows clearer on the sky]

[(The Imperial Cloak—Paludamentum).]

MY LADY (Canzone)

LAST LOVE (Canzone)

[For the garlands of heaven were all laid by]

[The wounded hart and the dying swan]

[Within those eyes the sedulous yearning throe.]

[Ah if you had been lost for many years]

ON THE TWO BRIDAL-BIERS

[Fashioned with intricate infinity.]

[Ah dear one, we were young so long]

[The tombless fossil of deep-buried days.]

[And 'mid the budding branches' sway]

[In galliard gardens of strange aventine]

[When we are senseless grown, to make stones speak.]

[Or, stamped with the snake's coil, it be]

[Could Keats but have a day or two on earth]

[“Ah lads, I knew your father.” What wide world]

[This little day—a bird that flew to me—]

[No ship came near: aloof with heed]

[And plaintive days that haunt the haggard hills]

[Inexplicable blight]

collapse section

[With golden mantle, rings, and necklace fair]

[A golden robe, yet will she wear]

YOUTH AND LORDSHIP

collapse section

JUVENILIA AND GROTESQUES

ALGERNON STANHOPE

AN EPITAPH FOR KEATS

TO MARY IN SUMMER

THE ENGLISH REVOLUTION OF 1848

THE SIN OF DETECTION

ONE OF TIME'S RIDDLES

THE WORLD'S DOING

HEIGHT IN DEPTH

PRAISE AND PRAYER

THE TURNING-POINT

IDLE BLESSEDNESS

“'TWAS THUS”

ON BROWNING'S SORDELLO

THE CAN-CAN AT VALENTINO'S

AT THE STATION OF THE VERSAILLES RAILWAY

L'ENVOI: BRUSSELS, HÔTEL DU MIDI

SIR PETER PAUL RUBENS (Antwerp)

BETWEEN GHENT AND BRUGES

VERSES TO JOHN TUPPER

ST. WAGNES' EVE

PARODY ON “UNCLE NED”

VALENTINE—TO LIZZIE SIDDAL

ADDRESS TO THE DALZIEL BROTHERS

ON WILLIAM MORRIS

ON CHRISTINA ROSSETTI

collapse section

collapse section

DANTE AND HIS CIRCLE

collapse section

I.

PART I Dante's Vita Nuova, etc. Poets of Dante's Circle

collapse section

[To every heart which the sweet pain doth move]

[All ye that pass along Love's trodden way]

[A day agone, as I rode sullenly]

[Song, 'tis my will that thou do seek out Love]

[All my thoughts always speak to me of Love]

[Even as the others mock, thou mockest me]

[The thoughts are broken in my memory]

[At whiles (yea oftentimes) I muse over]

[Ladies that have intelligence in love]

[Love and the gentle heart are one same thing]

[My lady carries love within her eyes]

[You that thus wear a modest countenance]

[A very pitiful lady, very young]

[I felt a spirit of love begin to stir]

[My lady looks so gentle and so pure]

[For certain he hath seen all perfectness]

[Love hath so long possessed me for his own]

[The eyes that weep for pity of the heart]

[Stay now with me, and listen to my sighs]

[Whatever while the thought comes over me]

[That lady of all gentle memories]

[Mine eyes beheld the blessed pity spring]

[Love's pallor and the semblance of deep ruth]

[“The very bitter weeping that ye made]

[A gentle thought there is will often start]

[Woe's me! by dint of all these sighs that come]

[Ye pilgrim-folk, advancing pensively]

[Beyond the sphere which spreads to widest space]

collapse section

[DANTE ALIGHIERI]

I.

I TO BRUNETTO LATINI

II.

III.

IV.

V.

VI.

VII.

VIII.

IX.

IX TO CINO DA PISTOIA

CINO DA PISTOIA TO DANTE ALIGHIERI

X.

X TO CINO DA PISTOIA

CINO DA PISTOIA TO DANTE ALIGHIERI

XI.

XII.

XIII.

collapse section

GUIDO CAVALCANTI

I.

I TO DANTE ALIGHIERI

II.

III.

IV.

V.

VI.

VI TO GUIDO ORLANDI

GUIDO ORLANDI TO GUIDO CAVALCANTI

VII.

VIII.

DANTE ALIGHIERI TO GUIDO CAVALCANTI

IX.

IX TO DANTE ALIGHIERI

X.

X TO DANTE ALIGHIERI

XI.

XI TO DANTE ALIGHIERI

XII.

XIII.

XIV.

XV.

XVI.

XVII.

GUIDO ORLANDI TO GUIDO CAVALCANTI

GIANNI ALFANI TO GUIDO CAVALCANTI

BERNARDO DA BOLOGNA TO GUIDO CAVALCANTI

XVIII.

XVIII TO BERNARDO DA BOLOGNA

DINO COMPAGNI TO GUIDO CAVALCANTI

XIX.

XIX TO GUIDO ORLANDI

GUIDO ORLANDI TO GUIDO CAVALCANTI

XX.

XX TO DANTE ALIGHIERI

XXI.

XXII.

XXIII.

XXIII TO POPE BONIFACE VIII

XXIV.

XXV.

XXVI.

XXVII.

XXVIII.

DANTE AND HIS CIRCLE

collapse section

CINO DA PISTOIA

I.

I TO DANTE ALIGHIERI

II.

II TO DANTE ALIGHIERI

III.

III TO DANTE ALIGHIERI

IV.

V.

VI.

VII.

VIII.

IX.

X.

X TO GUIDO CAVALCANTI

XI.

XII.

collapse section

DANTE DA MAIANO

I.

I TO DANTE ALIGHIERI

II.

GUIDO ORLANDI TO DANTE DA MAIANO

III.

IV.

collapse section

CECCO ANGIOLIERI, DA SIENA

I.

I TO DANTE ALIGHIERI

II.

III.

IV.

V.

VI.

VII.

VIII.

IX.

X.

XI.

XII.

XIII.

XIV.

XV.

XVI.

XVII.

XVII Prolonged Sonnet

XVIII.

XIX.

XX.

XXI.

XXII.

XXIII.

XXIII TO DANTE ALIGHIERI

collapse section

I.

II.

collapse section

DINO FRESCOBALDI

I.

II.

GIOTTO DI BONDONE

SIMONE DALL' ANTELLA

GIOVANNI QUIRINO TO DANTE ALIGHIERI

DANTE ALIGHIERI TO GIOVANNI QUIRINO

collapse section

APPENDIX TO PART I

collapse section

I.

I Forese Donati

I.

I Dante Alighieri to Forese Donati

II.

II Forese Donati to Dante Alighieri

III.

III Dante Alighieri to Forese Donati

IV.

IV Forese Donati to Dante Alighieri

collapse section

III.

III Giovanni Boccaccio

I.

I To one who had censured his public Exposition of Dante

II.

II Inscription for a portrait of Dante

III.

III To Dante in Paradise, after Fiammetta's death

IV.

IV Of Fiammetta singing

V.

V Of his last sight of Fiammetta

VI.

VI Of three Girls and of their Talk

collapse section

II.

PART II POETS CHIEFLY BEFORE DANTE

CIULLO D'ALCAMO

FOLCACHIERO DE' FOLCACHIERI, KNIGHT OF SIENA

LODOVICO DELLA VERNACCIA

SAINT FRANCIS OF ASSISI

FREDERICK II. EMPEROR

ENZO, KING OF SARDINIA

collapse section

GUIDO GUINICELLI

I.

II.

III.

IV.

V.

VI.

GUERZO DI MONTECANTI

INGHILFREDI, SICILIANO

collapse section

RINALDO D'AQUINO

I.

II.

collapse section

JACOPO DA LENTINO

I.

II.

III.

IV.

V.

VI.

VII.

collapse section

MAZZEO DI RICCO, DA MESSINA

I.

II.

III.

PANNUCCIO DAL BAGNO, PISANO

collapse section

GIACOMINO PUGLIESI, KNIGHT OF PRATO

I.

II.

III.

FRA GUITTONE D' AREZZO

BARTOLOMEO DI SANT' ANGELO

SALADINO DA PAVIA

collapse section

BONAGGIUNTA URBICIANI, DA LUCCA

I.

II.

III.

IV.

collapse section

MEO ABBRACCIAVACCA, DA PISTOIA

I.

II.

UBALDO DI MARCO

SIMBUONO GIUDICE

MASOLINO DA TODI

collapse section

ONESTO DI BONCIMA, BOLOGNESE

I.

II.

TERINO DA CASTEL FIORENTINO

MAESTRO MIGLIORE, DA FIORENZA

collapse section

FOLGORE DA SAN GEMINIANO

I.

II.

III.

collapse section

collapse section

GUIDO DELLE COLONNE

PIER MORONELLI, DI FIORENZA

CIUNCIO FIORENTINO

RUGGIERI DI AMICI, SICILIANO

CARNINO GHIBERTI, DA FIORENZA

PRINZIVALLE DORIA

collapse section

RUSTICO DI FILIPPO

I.

II.

III.

PUCCIARELLO DI FIORENZA

ALBERTUCCIO DELLA VIOLA

TOMMASO BUZZUOLA, DA FAENZA

NOFFO BONAGUIDA

LIPPO PASCHI DE' BARDI

SER PACE, NOTAIO DA FIORENZA

NICCOLÒ DEGLI ALBIZZI

collapse section

FRANCESCO DA BARBERINO

I.

II.

III.

IV.

V.

collapse section

FAZIO DEGLI UBERTI

I.

II.

II Extract from the “Dittamondo”

III.

III Extract from the “Dittamondo”

collapse section

FRANCO SACCHETTI

I.

II.

III.

collapse section

ANONYMOUS POEMS

I.

II.

III.

IV.

V.

collapse section

TRANSLATIONS from the GERMAN, ITALIAN, FRENCH, AND GREEK

collapse section

HENRY THE LEPER

I.

II.

III.

IV.

V.

collapse section

TWO SONGS FROM VICTOR HUGO'S “BURGRAVES”

I.

II.

collapse section

TWO LYRICS FROM NICCOLÒ TOMMASEO

I.

I.—THE YOUNG GIRL

II.

II.—A FAREWELL

FROM THE ROMAN DE LA ROSE

collapse section

POEMS BY FRANCESCO AND GAETANO POLIDORI

[Extract from Il Losario]

SONNET TO THE LAUREL

A DOCTOR'S ADVICE

THE BALLAD OF DEAD LADIES

TO DEATH, OF HIS LADY

MY FATHER'S CLOSE

HIS MOTHER'S SERVICE TO OUR LADY

FRANCESCA DA RIMINI

collapse section

Collapse All | Expand All expand section

SONNET LXXVIII BODY'S BEAUTY

Of Adam's first wife, Lilith, it is told
(The witch he loved before the gift of Eve,)
That, ere the snake's, her sweet tongue could deceive,
And her enchanted hair was the first gold.
And still she sits, young while the earth is old,
And, subtly of herself contemplative,
Draws men to watch the bright web she can weave,
Till heart and body and life are in its hold.

The rose and poppy are her flowers; for where
Is he not found, O Lilith, whom shed scent
And soft-shed kisses and soft sleep shall snare?
Lo! as that youth's eyes burned at thine, so went
Thy spell through him, and left his straight neck bent
And round his heart one strangling golden hair.