Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE ARTISTS, by PATRICK REGINALD CHALMERS


Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE ARTISTS, by                    
First Line: Blue as a mile of pansies are the seas that circle the shores
Last Line: And peacock's neck!
Subject(s): Art & Artists; Fantasy


BLUE as a mile of pansies are the seas that circle the shores,
Circle the shores of Fairyland and the high, enchanted ways
Where the great grim sea-green dragons guard the jade and the amber doors,
And the Queen of the Fairies' peacocks walk under the crimson mays;
Oh, what, I wonder,
Could look more gay
Than a peacock under
A crimson may?

For that is the home of colour and many a wizard hue,
'Tis there they deck the rainbow ere he's pinned against the rain,
And squeeze the tubes for the pictures of "things too good to be true,"
And make the gilt for the turrets of castles we build in Spain;
And what's more gilded,
This world amid,
Than castles builded
Near old Madrid?

For we, we're all of us artists with plans and canvases
Of excellent Spanish castles with turrets all about,
With angels in the corners, romaunts, and symphonies
Of things as we would have them did every dream work out;
And such were duller,
You'll understand,
If robbed of colour
From Fairyland!

So we must stroke the dragons and tickle their shiny scales,
And they shall grin politely and we shall pass along,
Where under the crimson may-trees the peacocks spread their tails,
To dip our brushes in magic and echoes of fairy song;
And find us Fancy
Our daubs to deck,
With tints of pansy
And peacock's neck!





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