University of Virginia Library

Search this document 
Poems

By Edward Quillinan. With a Memoir by William Johnston

collapse section 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
THE MAGDALEN.
  
collapse section 
  
  
  
 I. 
 II. 
 I. 
 II. 
 I. 
 II. 
 III. 
 IV. 
 I. 
 II. 
 III. 
 I. 
 II. 
  
  
collapse section 
 I. 
 II. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
collapse section 
 I. 
 II. 
 III. 
 IV. 
 V. 
 VI. 
 VII. 
 VIII. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


47

THE MAGDALEN.

Paint me a Magdalen
With violets in her hair,
Such as she gave her Lover
Near his aching heart to wear—
On that frail Lover's bosom
As she had fared, to fare;
To love him and to lose him
When crush'd and wither'd there.—
Just when to heaven upturning
Her dark eyes bright with tears,
She bade farewell for ever
To passion's hopes and fears;—
To all the mortal yearning
That woman's bosom sears,
And scores her heart with burning
Whose traces last for years:—

48

Just in that awful struggle,
Which fiends and angels share,
When sorrow saves the victim
Of passion from despair,
Paint me that Magdalen
Redeem'd—but let her wear
A wreath of dark-blue violets
About her jet-black hair.