A THOUGHT ay like a flower upon mine heart, And drew around it other thoughts like bees For multitude and thirst of sweetnesses; Whereat rejoicing, I desired the art Of the Greek whistler, who to wharf and mart Could lure those insect swarms from orange-trees, That I might hive with me such thoughts and please My soul so, always. Foolish counterpart Of a weak man's vain wishes! While I spoke, The thought I called a flower grew nettle-rough, The thoughts, called bees, stung me to festering: Oh, entertain (cried Reason as she woke) Your best and gladdest thoughts but long enough, And they will all prove sad enough to sting! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...IN A MYRTLE SHADE by WILLIAM BLAKE MEMORIAL TO D.C.: 2. PRAYER TO PERSEPHONE by EDNA ST. VINCENT MILLAY THE THREE BEST THING: 1. WORK by HENRY VAN DYKE THE LOVER AND THE BIRDS by WILLIAM ALLINGHAM SIC SEMPER INSURANTIBUS by MORRIS GILBERT BISHOP ISAIAH: 35 by JOHN GARDINER CALKINS BRAINARD THE WANDERER: 1. IN ITALY: ONCE by EDWARD ROBERT BULWER-LYTTON MASQUE AT THE MARRIAGE OF THE LORD HAYES: AN EPIGRAM by THOMAS CAMPION |