UNDER her gentle seeing, In her delicate little hand, They placed the Book of Being, To read and understand. The Book was mighty and olden, Yea, worn and eaten with age; Though the letters look'd great and golden, She could not read a page. The letters flutter'd before her, And all look'd swectly wild: Death saw her, and bent o'er her, As she pouted her lips and smil'd. And weary a little with tracing The Book, she look'd aside, And lightly smiling, and placing A Flower in its leaves, she died. She died, but her sweetness fled not, As fly the things of power, -- For the Book wherein she read not Is the sweeter for the Flower. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...A,B,C by CHARLES STUART CALVERLEY OLNEY HYMNS: 49. JOY AND PEACE IN BELIEVING by WILLIAM COWPER THE BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS [JANUARY 8, 1815] by THOMAS DUNN ENGLISH AFTER AUGHRIM by ARTHUR GERALD GEOGHEGAN SARGENT'S PORTRAIT OF EDWIN BOOTH AT THE PLAYERS by THOMAS BAILEY ALDRICH PEARLS OF THE FAITH: 10. AL-JABBAR by EDWIN ARNOLD PEARLS OF THE FAITH: 20. AL-'ALIM by EDWIN ARNOLD PSALMS 71. PRAYER AND SONG OF THE AGED CHRISTIAN by OLD TESTAMENT BIBLE |