The Complete Poems of Christina Rossetti A variorum edition: Edited, with textual notes and introductions, by R. W. Crump |
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 | The Complete Poems of Christina Rossetti |  |
276
“Rivals.” A Shadow of Saint Dorothea.
“Golden haired, lily white,
“Will you pluck me lilies;
“Or will you show me where they grow,
“Show where the summer rill is?
“But is your hair of gold or light,
“And is your foot of flake or fire,
“And have you wings rolled up from sight,
“And joy to slake desire?”—
“Will you pluck me lilies;
“Or will you show me where they grow,
“Show where the summer rill is?
“But is your hair of gold or light,
“And is your foot of flake or fire,
“And have you wings rolled up from sight,
“And joy to slake desire?”—
“I pluck young flowers of Paradise,
“Lilies and roses red;
“A sceptre for my hand,
“A crown to crown my golden head.
“Love makes me wise:
“I sing, I stand,
“I pluck palm branches in the sheltered land.”—
“Lilies and roses red;
“A sceptre for my hand,
“A crown to crown my golden head.
“Love makes me wise:
“I sing, I stand,
“I pluck palm branches in the sheltered land.”—
“Is there a path to Heaven
“My heavy foot may tread;
“And will you show that way to go,
“That rose and lily bed?
“Which day of all these seven
“Will lighten my heart of lead,
“Will purge mine eyes and make me wise
“Alive or dead?”—
“My heavy foot may tread;
“And will you show that way to go,
“That rose and lily bed?
“Which day of all these seven
“Will lighten my heart of lead,
“Will purge mine eyes and make me wise
“Alive or dead?”—
“There is a Heavenward stair—
“Mount, strain upwards, strain and strain—
“Each step will crumble to your foot
“That never shall descend again.
“There grows a tree from ancient root,
“With healing leaves and twelvefold fruit,
“In musical Heaven air:
“Feast with me there.”—
“Mount, strain upwards, strain and strain—
“Each step will crumble to your foot
“That never shall descend again.
“There grows a tree from ancient root,
“With healing leaves and twelvefold fruit,
“In musical Heaven air:
“Feast with me there.”—
“I have a home on earth I cannot leave,
“I have a friend on earth I cannot grieve:
“Come down to me, I cannot mount to you.”—
“Nay choose between us both,
“Choose as you are lief or loath:
“You cannot keep these things and have me too.”—
“I have a friend on earth I cannot grieve:
“Come down to me, I cannot mount to you.”—
277
“Choose as you are lief or loath:
“You cannot keep these things and have me too.”—
| The Complete Poems of Christina Rossetti | |