Classic and Contemporary Poetry
A FLOWER OF THE DAY, by DINAH MARIA MULOCK CRAIK Poet's Biography First Line: Old friend, that with a pale and pensile grace Last Line: Such wisdom and such sweetness, in god's world. Alternate Author Name(s): Mulock, Dinah Maria Subject(s): Flowers | ||||||||
OLD friend, that with a pale and pensile grace Climbest the lush hedgerows, art thou back again, Marking the slow round of the wond'rous years? Didst beckon me a moment, silent flower? Silent? As silent is the archangel's pen That day by day writes our life chronicle, And turns the page, -- the half-forgotten page, Which all eternity will never blot. Forgotten? No, we never do forget: We let the years go: eash then clean with tears, Leave them to bleach, out in the open day, Or lock them careful by, like dead friends' clothes, Till we shall dare unfold them without pain, -- But we forget not, never can forget. Flower, thou and I a moment face to face -- My face as clear as thine, this July noon Shining on both, on bee and butterfly And golden geetle creeping in the sun -- Will pause, and,lifting up, page after page, The many-colored history of life, Look backwards, backwards. So, the volume close! This July day, with the sun high in heaven, And the whole earth rejoicing, -- let it close. I think we need not sigh, complain, nor rave; Nor blush, -- our doings and misdoing all Being more 'gainst heaven than man, heaven them does keep With all its doings and undoings strange Concerning us. -- Ah, let the volume close: I would not alter in it one poor line. My dainty flower, my innocent white flower With such a pure smile looking up to heaven, With such a bright smile looking down on me -- (Nothing but smiles, -- as if in all the world Were no such things as thunder-storms or frosts, Or broken petals trampled on the ground, Or shivering leaveswhirled in the wintry air Like ghosts of last years joys:) -- my pretty flower, I'll pluck thee -- smiling too. Not one salt drop Shall stain thee: -- if these foolish eyes are dim, That they behold such beauty and such peace, Such wisdom and such sweetness, in God's world. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THEY SAW THE PROBLEM by MARK JARMAN SHAKE THE SUPERFLUX! by DAVID LEHMAN THE M??TIER OF BLOSSOMING by DENISE LEVERTOV TANKA DIARY (6) by HARRYETTE MULLEN VARIATIONS: 17 by CONRAD AIKEN FORCED BLOOM by STEPHEN ELLIOTT DUNN BY THE ALMA RIVER by DINAH MARIA MULOCK CRAIK DOUGLAS, DOUGLAS, TENDER AND TRUE by DINAH MARIA MULOCK CRAIK |
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