 | Sonnets in Switzerland and Italy |  |
116
THE GENTIANELLA (GENTIANA VERNA)
ST. BEATENBERG
Upon that ‘Hill of him God blessed’ all dew
Leapt into varied blossom, all the light
Took living form and colour infinite;
But 'mid the multitude of flowers that grew
I noted one of most ethereal hue,
Of starry form and dazzling to the sight,
So full of blue as just to need the white,
And white enough to make one feel the blue.
Leapt into varied blossom, all the light
Took living form and colour infinite;
But 'mid the multitude of flowers that grew
I noted one of most ethereal hue,
Of starry form and dazzling to the sight,
So full of blue as just to need the white,
And white enough to make one feel the blue.
It was a flower the chalet children call
‘Heaven's-bloom’; no scent of fragrant breath it had,
But to its starry petals there was given
The quintessential radiance sucked from all
Blue skies and lakes that ever made earth glad—
It seemed, in truth, a messenger from Heaven!
‘Heaven's-bloom’; no scent of fragrant breath it had,
But to its starry petals there was given
The quintessential radiance sucked from all
Blue skies and lakes that ever made earth glad—
It seemed, in truth, a messenger from Heaven!
| Sonnets in Switzerland and Italy | |