Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, QUEEN OF ROSES, by ALICE CARY


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

QUEEN OF ROSES, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: My little love hath made
Last Line: For she shall never have it back again.
Subject(s): Flowers; Roses


MY little love hath made
A garden that all sweetest sweetness holds,
And there for hours upon a piece of shade
Fringed round with marjoram and marigolds,
She lieth dreaming, on her arm of pearl,
My pretty little love -- my garden-girl.

The walks are one and all
Enriched along their borders with wild mint,
And pinks, and gilliflowers, both large and small;
But where her little feet do leave a print,
Whether on grass or ground, it doth displace
And make of non-effect all other grace.

Her speech is all so fair
The winds disgraced, do from her presence run,
And when she combeth loose her heavenly hair
She giveth entertainment to the sun.
Oh, just to touch the least of all thy curls,
My golden head -- my queen of garden-girls.

Her shawl-corners of snow
Like wings drop down about her when she stands
And never queen's lace made so fair a show
As that doth, knitted in her two white hands;
The while some sudden look of cold surprise
Shoots like an angry comet to her eyes.

When she doth walk abroad
Her subject flowers do one and all arise;
The low ones housed meekly in the sod
Do kiss her feet -- the lofty ones, her eyes.
Oh sad for him whose seeing hath not seen
My rose of roses, and my heart's dear queen.

I'm tying all my hours
With sighs together -- "Welladay! ah me!"
Because I cannot choose nor words, nor flowers,
Wherewith to lure my love to marry me!
I'll ask her what the wretched man must say
Who loves a saint, and woo her just that way.

Else in some honeyed phrase
I'll fit a barb no clearest sight can see,
And toss it up and down all cunning ways,
Until I catch and drag her heart to me!
Ah, then I'll tease her, for my life of pain,
For she shall never have it back again.





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