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Classic and Contemporary Poetry
BUCOLIC COMEDY: THE DOLL, by EDITH SITWELL Poet Analysis Poet's Biography First Line: If cold grew visible again Last Line: Play with my doll, though I'm in bed! Subject(s): Dolls; Toys | |||
IF cold grew visible again, We should see bell-flowers on the plain With shivering stalks, as white as kings In trembling ermine. Each one rings A little tune for vespers, matins, Beneath the polar sky's red satins; (The cold is but the shivering Of the white flower-bells as they ring.) And Madame A . . . the elegante, With Madame X, the elephant, Walked down the lengthy avenue Carrying their missals; and they knew The point-lace hanging from the trees Delicately laughed at these, Knowing they'd find no angels there With their apple-curling hair Because the angels pulled the lapel Of the priest's robe, left the chapel, And with my doll and me in Heaven Hear the nursery clock strike seven. The angels and myself, between us, We break their doll, the lady Venus, Who's curls seem petalled orange-flowers From Heaven's tree (those perfumed showers Fall like soft music in the mind). Seeing my doll they are unkind To all their toys; they break with joy The bird-soft bricks that builded Troy -- Laugh at the thought that it could matter. The angels' feet like bird-feet patter Across the floor; they leave their needle Sticking in their samplers, wheedle Me to let them wash my daughter Until her face is clear as water, Her curls like bell-flowers one can see At Easter, jangling on a tree. * * * * * But nurse is wandering on the plain, 'Midst cold grown visible again; She looks for me, and as she walks On toes the cold has turned to stalks, 'Mid shrill steel grasses that dissemble The cold (bell-flowers that jangle, tremble,) The angels nod their small heads, say "It's time we were in bed, stopped play" . . . Yet still the angels overhead Play with my doll, though I'm in bed! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...SUSIE, KIKI, ANNIE: 2 by MEI-MEI BERSSENBRUGGE THE DOLLS MUSEUM IN DUBLIN by EAVAN BOLAND PLASTIC BEATITUDE by LAURE-ANNE BOSSELAAR THE BECKETT KIT by LINDA GREGG THE DOLL BELIEVERS by CLARENCE MAJOR CHILD MARGARET by CARL SANDBURG AN OLD WOMAN: 2. HARVEST by EDITH SITWELL |
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