Thomas Humphry Ward, ed. The English Poets. 1880–1918.rnVol. V. Browning to Rupert Brooke

John Addington Symonds (1840–1893)

Extracts from Stella Maris: Three Sonnets: III. ‘And then she rose; and rising, then she knelt’

AND then she rose; and rising, then she knelt;

And then she paced the floor with passionate tread;

And then she sank with that imperial head

Bowed on bare knees: her broad arms made a belt

To clasp them; dark rebellious hair was shed

In tempest o’er fixed ardent eyes which dwelt,

Searching my heart’s heart; yea, my manhood felt

From that tense huddled form intensest dread.

Nerves quaked; veins curdled; thin compulsive flame

Thrilled through her crouching flesh to my couched soul

Expectant; lingering minutes winged with blame

Swept over us with voiceless thunder-roll,

While the vast silence of the midnight stole,

Merging our sin, a shuddering sea of shame!