Bliss Carman, et al., eds. The World’s Best Poetry.
Volume II. Love. 1904. | | | | VI. Lovers | | “Not at all, or all in all” | | Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809–1892) |
| | From “Merlin and Vivien”
IN Love, if Love be Love, if Love be ours, | |
| Faith and unfaith can ne’er be equal powers; | |
| Unfaith in aught is want of faith in all. | |
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| It is the little rift within the lute, | |
| That by and by will make the music mute, | 5 |
| And ever widening slowly silence all. | |
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| The little rift within the lover’s lute | |
| Or little pitted speck in garnered fruit, | |
| That rotting inward, slowly molders all. | |
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| It is not worth the keeping: let it go: | 10 |
| But shall it? answer, darling, answer, no. | |
| And trust me not at all or all in all. | | | | |
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