 | A Wreath of Wild Flowers From New England |  |
THE LOVER'S APPEAL TO THE PAINTER.
How! paint Julie in colours
From earthly mixture made!
Presumptuous mortal! what art thou
That wouldst my love degrade?
From earthly mixture made!
Presumptuous mortal! what art thou
That wouldst my love degrade?
Go, dip thy brush in heaven,
When bluest are her skies,
The deep warm hue of summer,
To paint those laughing eyes.
When bluest are her skies,
The deep warm hue of summer,
To paint those laughing eyes.
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And clothe its point in sunlight,
With a shadow here and there,
If thou wouldst give the gleamy wave
Of her luxuriant hair.
With a shadow here and there,
If thou wouldst give the gleamy wave
Of her luxuriant hair.
Be sure thou be not sparing,
But with hand all free and bold,
And generous in its daring,
Pour on the glowing gold.
But with hand all free and bold,
And generous in its daring,
Pour on the glowing gold.
And when it floats around her,
Like a fountain's spray of light,
With its rich ripples bathing
Her shoulders snowy white;
Like a fountain's spray of light,
With its rich ripples bathing
Her shoulders snowy white;
Then gaze again above thee,
And if the dying day
Has left its burning blushes there,
Oh! snatch the rosy ray!
And if the dying day
Has left its burning blushes there,
Oh! snatch the rosy ray!
And round her sportive dimples
Those hues of beauty trace,
Till heaven itself reflected seems
Within her radiant face.
Those hues of beauty trace,
Till heaven itself reflected seems
Within her radiant face.
148
Alas! the tints of loveliness,
If thou couldst thus obtain,
The lustre of the lovely tress,
The cheeks transparent stain;—
If thou couldst thus obtain,
The lustre of the lovely tress,
The cheeks transparent stain;—
What will they be, with all thy care,
Without the impassioned soul,
That pleads so eloquently there,
And animates the whole?
Without the impassioned soul,
That pleads so eloquently there,
And animates the whole?
| A Wreath of Wild Flowers From New England | |