Wednesday, 9 April 2008

"exracts from an opera" and "stanzas"

"extracts from an opera"

O were I one of the Olympian twelve
Their godships should pass this into a law;
That when a man doth set himself in toil
After some beauty veiled far away,
Each step he took should make his lady's hand
more soft, more white, and her fair cheek more fair;
And for each briar berry he might eat,
A kiss should bud upon the tree of love,
And pulp, and ripen, richer every hour,
To melt away upon the traveller's lips.

"stanzas"

You say you love - but with a voice
Chaster than a nun's who singeth
The soft vespers to herself
While the chime bell ringeth -
O love me truly!

You say you love - but with a smile
Cold as sunrise in September,
As you were Saint Cupid's nun,
And kept his weeks of Ember -
O love me truly!

You say you love - but then your lips
Coral-tinted teach no blisses,
More than coral in the sea -
They never pout for kisses -
O love me truly!

You say you love - but then your hand
No soft squeeze for squeeze returneth;
It's like a statues, dead -
While mine for passion burneth -
O love me truly!

O breath a word or two of fire
Smile, as if those words should burn me,
Squeeze as lovers should - O kiss
And in thy heart inurn me!
O love me truly!

/Keats

they make me smile :)

2 comments:

Claire said...

Huzzah for Keats! Thanks for sharing these honey, I am always up for some poetry :).

Cxx

Unknown said...

What Claire said. Keats is cool.