What fair pomp have I spied of glittering Ladies With locks sparkled abroad, and rosy coronet. On their ivory brows, trackt to the dainty thighs With robes like Amazons blue as violet, With gold aiglets adorned, some in a changeable Pale; with spangs wavering taught to be movable. Then those Knights that afar off with dolorous viewing Cast their eyes hitherward; lo, in an agony, All unbraced, cry aloud, their heavy state rueing: Moist cheeks with blubbering, painted as ebony Black; their feltred hair torn with wrathful hand: And whiles astonied, stark in a maze they stand. But hark! what merry sound! what sudden harmony! Look! look near the grove! where the ladies do tread With their Knights the measures weighed by the melody. Wantons! whose traversing make men enamoured; Now they fain an honour, now by the slender waist He must her aloft, and seal a kiss in haste. Straight down under a shadow for weariness they lie With pleasant dalliance, hand knit with arm in arm, Now close, now set aloof, they gaze with an equal eye, Changing kisses alike; straight with a false alarm, Mocking kisses alike, pout with a lovely lip. Thus drowned with jollities, their merry days do slip. But stay! now I discern they go on a pilgrimage Towards Love's holy land, fair Paphos or Cyprus. Such devotion is meet for a blithesome age; With sweet youth, it agrees well to be amorous. Let old angry fathers lurk in an hermitage: Come, we'll associate this jolly pilgrimage! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...TOMORROW by FELIX LOPE DE VEGA CARPIO THE CUMBERLAND by HERMAN MELVILLE THE HOUSE OF LIFE: 54. LOVE'S FATALITY by DANTE GABRIEL ROSSETTI CHAMPAGNE, 1914-1915 by ALAN SEEGER THE MASK OF ANARCHY; WRITTEN ON OCCASION OF MASSACRE AT MANCHESTER by PERCY BYSSHE SHELLEY OF THE MANNER OF ADDRESSING CLOUDS by WALLACE STEVENS TO ADOLPHE GAIFFE by THEODORE FAULLAIN DE BANVILLE |