English Poetry II: From Collins to Fitzgerald.
The Harvard Classics. 1909–14. |
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| 594. Sonnets from the Portuguese |
| | | XVII |
| | | Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806–1861) |
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| MY poet, thou canst touch on all the notes | |
| God set between His After and Before, | |
| And strike up and strike off the general roar | |
| Of the rushing worlds a melody that floats | |
| In a serene air purely. Antidotes | 5 |
| Of medicated music, answering for | |
| Mankind’s forlornest uses, thou canst pour | |
| From thence into their ears. God’s will devotes | |
| Thine to such ends, and mine to wait on thine. | |
| How, Dearest, wilt thou have me for most use? | 10 |
| A hope, to sing by gladly? or a fine | |
| Sad memory, with thy songs to interfuse? | |
| A shade, in which to sing—of palm or pine? | |
| A grave, on which to rest from singing? Choose. | |
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