The Complete Poems of Christina Rossetti A variorum edition: Edited, with textual notes and introductions, by R. W. Crump |
 | I. |
| II. |
| III. |
 | The Complete Poems of Christina Rossetti |  |
[The lily has a smooth stalk]
The lily has a smooth stalk,
Will never hurt your hand;
But the rose upon her briar
Is lady of the land.
Will never hurt your hand;
But the rose upon her briar
Is lady of the land.
There's sweetness in an apple tree,
And profit in the corn;
But lady of all beauty
Is a rose upon a thorn.
And profit in the corn;
But lady of all beauty
Is a rose upon a thorn.
When with moss and honey
She tips her bending briar,
And half unfolds her glowing heart,
She sets the world on fire.
She tips her bending briar,
And half unfolds her glowing heart,
She sets the world on fire.
| The Complete Poems of Christina Rossetti | |