Bliss Carman, et al., eds. The World’s Best Poetry.
Volume I. Of Home: of Friendship. 1904. | | | | Poems of Friendship | | A Temple to Friendship | | Thomas Moore (1779–1852) |
| | | “A TEMPLE to Friendship,” cried Laura, enchanted, | |
| “I ’ll build in this garden; the thought is divine.” | |
| So the temple was built, and she now only wanted | |
| An image of Friendship, to place on the shrine. | |
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| So she flew to the sculptor, who sat down before her | 5 |
| An image, the fairest his art could invent; | |
| But so cold, and so dull, that the youthful adorer | |
| Saw plainly this was not the Friendship she meant. | |
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| “O, never,” said she, “could I think of enshrining | |
| An image whose looks are so joyless and dim; | 10 |
| But you little god upon roses reclining, | |
| We ’ll make, if you please, sir, a Friendship of him.” | |
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| So the bargain was struck; with the little god laden, | |
| She joyfully flew to her home in the grove. | |
| “Farewell,” said the sculptor, “you ’re not the first maiden | 15 |
| Who came but for Friendship, and took away Love!” | | | | |
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