 | The poetical works of John Godfrey Saxe |  |
IDEAL AND REAL.
IDEAL.
Some years ago, when I was young,
And Mrs. Jones was Miss Delancy;
When wedlock's canopy was hung
With curtains from the loom of fancy;
I used to paint my future life
With most poetical precision,—
My special wonder of a wife;
My happy days; my nights Elysian.
And Mrs. Jones was Miss Delancy;
When wedlock's canopy was hung
With curtains from the loom of fancy;
I used to paint my future life
With most poetical precision,—
My special wonder of a wife;
My happy days; my nights Elysian.
I saw a lady, rather small
(A Juno was my strict abhorrence),
With flaxen hair, contrived to fall
In careless ringlets, à la Lawrence;
A blonde complexion; eyes that drew
From autumn clouds their azure brightness;
The foot of Hebe; arms whose hue
Was perfect in its milky whiteness!
(A Juno was my strict abhorrence),
With flaxen hair, contrived to fall
In careless ringlets, à la Lawrence;
A blonde complexion; eyes that drew
From autumn clouds their azure brightness;
The foot of Hebe; arms whose hue
Was perfect in its milky whiteness!
I saw a party, quite select,—
There might have been a baker's dozen;
A parson, of the ruling sect;
A bridemaid, and a city cousin;
A formal speech to me and mine
(Its meaning I could scarce discover);
A taste of cake; a sip of wine;
Some kissing—and the scene was over!
There might have been a baker's dozen;
A parson, of the ruling sect;
A bridemaid, and a city cousin;
A formal speech to me and mine
(Its meaning I could scarce discover);
A taste of cake; a sip of wine;
Some kissing—and the scene was over!
I saw a baby—one—no more;
A cherub pictured, rather faintly,
Beside a pallid dame who wore
A countenance extremely saintly.
I saw,—but nothing could I hear,
Except the softest prattle, maybe,
The merest breath upon the ear,—
So quiet was the blesséd baby!
A cherub pictured, rather faintly,
Beside a pallid dame who wore
A countenance extremely saintly.
I saw,—but nothing could I hear,
Except the softest prattle, maybe,
The merest breath upon the ear,—
So quiet was the blesséd baby!
REAL.
I see a woman, rather tall,
And yet, I own, a comely lady
Complexion—such as I must call
(To be exact) a little shady;
A hand not handsome, yet confessed
A generous one for love or pity;
A nimble foot, and—neatly dressed
In No. 5—extremely pretty!
And yet, I own, a comely lady
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(To be exact) a little shady;
A hand not handsome, yet confessed
A generous one for love or pity;
A nimble foot, and—neatly dressed
In No. 5—extremely pretty!
I see a group of boys and girls
Assembled round the knee paternal
With ruddy cheeks and tangled curls,
And manners not at all supernal.
And one has reached a manly size;
And one aspires to woman's stature;
And one is quite a recent prize,
And all abound in human nature!
Assembled round the knee paternal
With ruddy cheeks and tangled curls,
And manners not at all supernal.
And one has reached a manly size;
And one aspires to woman's stature;
And one is quite a recent prize,
And all abound in human nature!
The boys are hard to keep in trim;
The girls are often rather trying;
And baby—like the cherubim—
Seems very fond of steady crying!
And yet the precious little one,
His mother's dear, despotic master,
Is worth a thousand babies done
In Parian or in alabaster!
The girls are often rather trying;
And baby—like the cherubim—
Seems very fond of steady crying!
And yet the precious little one,
His mother's dear, despotic master,
Is worth a thousand babies done
In Parian or in alabaster!
And oft that stately dame and I,
When laughing o'er our early dreaming,
And marking, as the years go by,
How idle was our youthful scheming,
Confess the wiser Power that knew
How Duty every joy enhances,
And gave us blessings rich and true,
And better far than all our fancies.
When laughing o'er our early dreaming,
And marking, as the years go by,
How idle was our youthful scheming,
Confess the wiser Power that knew
How Duty every joy enhances,
And gave us blessings rich and true,
And better far than all our fancies.
| The poetical works of John Godfrey Saxe | |