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Poems

By the author of "The Patience of Hope" [i.e. Dora Greenwell]
Greenwell, Dora (1821-1882)
  
[epigraph]

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[section]
  
CHRISTINA.
  
GOD'S SINGER.
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A STORY OF OLDEN TIME.
 I. 
[[FIRST PART.]]
 II. 
SECOND PART.
  
SEEKING.
  
THE KISS.
  
WHEN THE NIGHT AND MORNING MEET.
  
THE SOUL'S PARTING.
  
RECONCILIATION.
  
GONE.
  
HAUNTED GROUND.
  
POETS.
  
A COMPARISON.
  
THE ETERNAL NOW.
  
CONSOLATION.
  
PENCIL-MARKS IN A BOOK OF DEVOTION.
  
“FAINT, YET PURSUING.”
  
ENTREAT FOR ME.
  
A VISION OF GREEN LEAVES.
  
TO A LONG-PARTED FRIEND.
  
“SO IT HAPPENS.”
  
THE PICTURE AND THE SCROLL.
  
TO A YOUNG GIRL.
  
A SONG OF MEMORY.
  
TO JOSEPHINE.
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THE MARRIAGE OF TRUE MINDS.
 I. 
I. AGNES AT HER WINDOW.
 II. 
II. THE SERENADE.
 III. 
III. AGNES AMONG THE SISTERS.
 IV. 
IV. And oft upon me is the fancy borne
  
WITHOUT AND WITHIN.
  
MADANA.
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VALENTINES AND SONGS.
  
LUISA.
  
THE SUMMER FRIEND.
  
“QUI SAIT AIMER, SAIT MOURIR.”
  
THE BROKEN CHAIN.
  
A VALENTINE.
  
A VALENTINE.
  
“ICH DIEN.”
  
THE BABES IN THE WOOD.
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SONNETS.
  
ASCENDING.
  
LIFE TAPESTRY.
  
LOVE BIRDS.
  
TO ELIZABETH BARRET BROWNING.
  
TO A REMEMBERED STREAM, AND A NEVER FORGOTTEN FRIEND.
  
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM.
  
RESERVE.
  
DREAMS.
  
THE SOUL'S WOOERS.
  
HOPE.
  
TO A FRIEND.
  
TO L. M.
  
TO THE AUTHOR OF ZISKA.
  
REST.
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PART FIRST
  
TO THE NINETEENTH CENTURY.
  
TO AN EARLY FRIEND.
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OLD LETTERS.
  
[section]
 I. 
I.
 II. 
II.
 III. 
III.
 IV. 
IV.
 V. 
V.
 VI. 
VI.
  
AFTER PARTING.
  
IN ABSENCE.
  
THE FIRST LETTER.
  
SILENCE.
  
IN ILLNESS.
  
VII.
  
VIII.
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TO A LONG-PARTED FRIEND.
 I. 
I.
 II. 
II.
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TO --- ---.
 I. 
I.
 II. 
II.
  
TO A DISTANT FRIEND.
  
TO MY FRIENDS AT ------.
  
MEETING.
  
PARTING.
  
TO A DEPARTED SPIRIT.
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PART SECOND.
  
THE RECONCILER.
  
THE QUESTION.
  
FORSAKEN.
  
THE LESSON.
  
THE TWO RELIGIONS.
  
LOVE.
  
IN SADNESS.
  
THE SUMMONS.
  
PAX IN NOVISSIMO.
  
A MEDITATION.
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EARLIER POEMS.
  
ASPIRATION.
  
MARY.
  
CHILDHOOD.
  
WINTER.
  
THE DEFORMED CHILD.
  
THE DAUGHTER OF THE HALL.
  
THE LOVER'S QUARREL.
  
THE OLD FAMILY.
  
“REJOICE EVERMORE.”
  
BALLAD.
  
THE IRISH EMIGRANT'S SONG.
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SONGS OF FAREWELL.
  
PARTING.
  
DEATH.

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221

LOVE.

O Love, thou goodly child,
Though not its own, the World makes much of Thee!
Thou mindest me of him, from out the wild
Bulrushes drawn, and at a royal knee
Brought up with songs and nurtured tenderly.
Sweet songs are sung to thee, yet thou dost sing
Far sweeter back, because the mystic bee
Hives ever on thy lips, and Egypt's king
And courtiers, failing of thy company,
Would wearier grow of all their pageantry
Than infants of their toys that for the moon
Cry out. Yet thou thyself dost weary soon
Of Egypt's hollow show, and being grown
To thy full stature wilt no more disown
Thy country and thy brethren; thou wilt turn
To share their task-work, yet wilt not unlearn
The precious lore of Egypt; and the songs
That Pharaoh's daughter taught thee wilt recall
Full sweetly on thy harp of many strings—
Thou needest them, to plead thy people's wrongs
Thy Master yet may send thee before Kings!
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