Author Algernon Charles Swinburne

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Dedication

1865 The sea gives her shells to the shingle, The earth gives her streams to the sea: They are many, but my gift is single, My verses, the firstfruits of me. Let the wind take the green and the grey leaf, Cast forth without fruit upon air; Take rose-leaf and vine-leaf and bay-leaf Blown loose from the hair. The night shakes them round me in legions, Dawn drives them before her like dreams; Time sheds them like snows on strange... Poems - Post by : MJDuignan - Date : November 2011 - Author : Algernon Charles Swinburne - Read : 2634

The Year Of Love

There were four loves that one by one, Following the seasons and the sun, Passed over without tears, and fell Away without farewell. The first was made of gold and tears, The next of aspen-leaves and fears, The third of rose-boughs and rose-roots, The last love of strange fruits. These were the four loves faded. Hold Some minutes fast the time of gold When our lips each way clung and clove To a face full of love. The tears inside our eyelids met, Wrung forth with kissing, and... Poems - Post by : dbhatta - Date : November 2011 - Author : Algernon Charles Swinburne - Read : 2948

The Sea-swallows

This fell when Christmas lights were done, (Red rose leaves will never make wine) But before the Easter lights begun; The ways are sair fra' the Till to the Tyne. Two lovers sat where the rowan blows And all the grass is heavy and fine, By the gathering-place of the sea-swallows When the wind brings them over Tyne. Blossom of broom will never make bread, Red rose leaves will never make wine; Between her brows she is grown red,... Poems - Post by : vdimlm - Date : November 2011 - Author : Algernon Charles Swinburne - Read : 2466

The Bloody Son

(FINNISH) "O where have ye been the morn sae late, My merry son, come tell me hither? O where have ye been the morn sae late? And I wot I hae not anither." "By the water-gate, by the water-gate, O dear mither." "And whatten kin' o' wark had ye there to make, My merry son, come tell me hither? And whatten kin' o' wark had ye there to make? And I wot I hae not anither." "I watered my steeds... Poems - Post by : as123087 - Date : November 2011 - Author : Algernon Charles Swinburne - Read : 1398

May Janet

(BRETON) "Stand up, stand up, thou May Janet, And go to the wars with me." He's drawn her by both hands With her face against the sea. "He that strews red shall gather white, He that sows white reap red, Before your face and my daughter's Meet in a marriage-bed. "Gold coin shall grow in the yellow field, Green corn in the green sea-water, And red fruit grow of the rose's red, Ere your fruit grow in... Poems - Post by : crackie58 - Date : November 2011 - Author : Algernon Charles Swinburne - Read : 3724

After Death

The four boards of the coffin lid Heard all the dead man did. The first curse was in his mouth, Made of grave's mould and deadly drouth. The next curse was in his head, Made of God's work discomfited. The next curse was in his hands, Made out of two grave-bands. The next curse was in his feet, Made out of a grave-sheet. "I had fair coins red and white, And my name was as great light; I had fair clothes green and red, And strong gold bound... Poems - Post by : Aragon2005 - Date : November 2011 - Author : Algernon Charles Swinburne - Read : 1598

The King's Daughter

We were ten maidens in the green corn, Small red leaves in the mill-water: Fairer maidens never were born, Apples of gold for the king's daughter. We were ten maidens by a well-head, Small white birds in the mill-water: Sweeter maidens never were wed, Rings of red for the king's daughter. The first to spin, the second to sing, Seeds of wheat in the mill-water; The third may was a goodly thing, White bread and brown for the... Poems - Post by : megaman - Date : November 2011 - Author : Algernon Charles Swinburne - Read : 1139

Madonna Mia

Under green apple-boughs That never a storm will rouse, My lady hath her house Between two bowers; In either of the twain Red roses full of rain; She hath for bondwomen All kind of flowers. She hath no handmaid fair To draw her curled gold hair Through rings of gold that bear Her whole hair's weight; She hath no maids to stand Gold-clothed on either hand; In all the great green land None is so great. She... Poems - Post by : loaded16 - Date : November 2011 - Author : Algernon Charles Swinburne - Read : 3049

Love And Sleep

Lying asleep between the strokes of night I saw my love lean over my sad bed, Pale as the duskiest lily's leaf or head, Smooth-skinned and dark, with bare throat made to bite, Too wan for blushing and too warm for white, But perfect-coloured without white or red. And her lips opened amorously, and said-- I wist not what, saving one word--Delight. And all her face was honey to my mouth, And all her body pasture to mine eyes;... Poems - Post by : terryrayburn - Date : November 2011 - Author : Algernon Charles Swinburne - Read : 3626

Aholibah

In the beginning God made thee A woman well to look upon, Thy tender body as a tree Whereon cool wind hath always blown Till the clean branches be well grown. There was none like thee in the land; The girls that were thy bondwomen Did bind thee with a purple band Upon thy forehead, that all men Should know thee for God's handmaiden. Strange raiment clad... Poems - Post by : heymichelle - Date : November 2011 - Author : Algernon Charles Swinburne - Read : 3335

The Two Dreams

(FROM BOCCACCIO) I will that if I say a heavy thing Your tongues forgive me; seeing ye know that spring Has flecks and fits of pain to keep her sweet, And walks somewhile with winter-bitten feet. Moreover it sounds often well to let One string, when ye play music, keep at fret The whole song through; one petal that is dead Confirms the roses, be they white or red; Dead sorrow is not sorrowful to hear As the thick noise that breaks mid weeping were; The sick sound aching in... Poems - Post by : donndarcy - Date : November 2011 - Author : Algernon Charles Swinburne - Read : 1258

St. Dorothy

It hath been seen and yet it shall be seen That out of tender mouths God's praise hath been Made perfect, and with wood and simple string He hath played music sweet as shawm-playing To please himself with softness of all sound; And no small thing but hath been sometime found Full sweet of use, and no such humbleness But God hath bruised withal the sentences And evidence of wise men witnessing; No leaf that is so soft a hidden thing It never shall get sight of the great sun;... Poems - Post by : bailey - Date : November 2011 - Author : Algernon Charles Swinburne - Read : 3206

The Masque Of Queen Bersabe, A Miracle-play

KING DAVID Knights mine, all that be in hall, I have a counsel to you all, Because of this thing God lets fall Among us for a sign. For some days hence as I did eat From kingly dishes my good meat, There flew a bird between my feet As red as any wine. This bird had a long bill of red And a gold ring above his head; Long time he sat and nothing said, Put softly down his neck... Poems - Post by : hadeajayi - Date : November 2011 - Author : Algernon Charles Swinburne - Read : 3624

Christmas Carol

Suggested by a drawing of Mr. D. G. Rossetti's.  Three damsels in the queen's chamber, The queen's mouth was most fair; She spake a word of God's mother As the combs went in her hair. Mary that is of might, Bring us to thy Son's sight. They held the gold combs out from her, A span's length off her head; She sang this song... Poems - Post by : sjpower - Date : November 2011 - Author : Algernon Charles Swinburne - Read : 1430

August

There were four apples on the bough, Half gold half red, that one might know The blood was ripe inside the core; The colour of the leaves was more Like stems of yellow corn that grow Through all the gold June meadow's floor. The warm smell of the fruit was good To feed on, and the split green wood, With all its bearded lips and stains Of mosses in the cloven veins, Most pleasant, if one lay or stood In sunshine or in happy rains. There were four apples... Poems - Post by : chuks - Date : November 2011 - Author : Algernon Charles Swinburne - Read : 3515

At Eleusis

Men of Eleusis, ye that with long staves Sit in the market-houses, and speak words Made sweet with wisdom as the rare wine is Thickened with honey; and ye sons of these Who in the glad thick streets go up and down For pastime or grave traffic or mere chance; And all fair women having rings of gold On hands or hair; and chiefest over these I name you, daughters of this man the king, Who dipping deep smooth pitchers of pure brass Under the bubbled wells, till each round lip... Poems - Post by : south205 - Date : November 2011 - Author : Algernon Charles Swinburne - Read : 1684

Sapphics

All the night sleep came not upon my eyelids, Shed not dew, nor shook nor unclosed a feather, Yet with lips shut close and with eyes of iron Stood and beheld me. Then to me so lying awake a vision Came without sleep over the seas and touched me, Softly touched mine eyelids and lips; and I too, Full of the vision, Saw the white implacable Aphrodite, Saw the hair unbound and the feet unsandalled Shine as fire of sunset on western waters; Saw... Poems - Post by : BizRook - Date : November 2011 - Author : Algernon Charles Swinburne - Read : 4031

Hendecasyllabics

In the month of the long decline of roses I, beholding the summer dead before me, Set my face to the sea and journeyed silent, Gazing eagerly where above the sea-mark Flame as fierce as the fervid eyes of lions Half divided the eyelids of the sunset; Till I heard as it were a noise of waters Moving tremulous under feet of angels Multitudinous, out of all the heavens; Knew the fluttering wind, the fluttered foliage, Shaken fitfully, full of sound and shadow; And saw, trodden upon by noiseless angels,... Poems - Post by : ckilian - Date : November 2011 - Author : Algernon Charles Swinburne - Read : 3238

An Interlude

In the greenest growth of the Maytime, I rode where the woods were wet, Between the dawn and the daytime; The spring was glad that we met. There was something the season wanted, Though the ways and the woods smelt sweet; The breath at your lips that panted, The pulse of the grass at your feet. You came, and the sun came after, And the green grew golden above; And the flag-flowers lightened with laughter, And the meadow-sweet shook with... Poems - Post by : jaaccl - Date : November 2011 - Author : Algernon Charles Swinburne - Read : 2929

Felise

Mais où sont les neiges d'antan? What shall be said between us here Among the downs, between the trees, In fields that knew our feet last year, In sight of quiet sands and seas, This year, Félise? Who knows what word were best to say? For last year's leaves lie dead and red On this sweet day, in this green May, And barren corn makes bitter bread. What shall be said? Here as last year the fields... Poems - Post by : janislynn - Date : November 2011 - Author : Algernon Charles Swinburne - Read : 1289

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