Quiet courtyard, neat and classic, White with marble in the sun, Far from noisy horns and traffic, Here is something clear and graphic. Let me rest till day is done. Let me stroll the silent hallways, Cool and silent, friendly, too; Let me linger with the pictures. They are friends, and that is true. Etchings of the grand old river -- Drypoints of the river Seine; Battersea and Putney bridges, Limehouse Square and Alderidges, Scenes of London in the rain; Boyish faces in the springtime -- Song and dance upon the green; Fisherfolk who pause from toil, Humble peasants plow the soil, And here -- a fragile Chinese screen. Quiet, quiet, -- then a whisper, Then a smile and nod of head. Oh, the joy of understanding So much more than can be read! Sanctuary for the chosen, Let me linger, let me drink. I am thirsty for your nectar! I am grateful, very grateful, For this fresh desire to think! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...ROBERT BROWNING by WALTER SAVAGE LANDOR THE PROGRESS OF POETRY by JONATHAN SWIFT A SPIRITUAL AND WELL-ORDERED MIND by HENRY ALFORD PEARLS OF THE FAITH: 30. AL-HADIL by EDWIN ARNOLD A BALLADE OF COLLEGE GIRLS by F. R. BATCHELDER THE CHIEF AMONG TEN THOUSAND (SONG OF SOLOMON) by HORATIO (HORATIUS) BONAR ON THE FUNERAL OF CHARLES I; AT NIGHT, IN ST. GEORGE'S CHAPEL, WINDSOR by WILLIAM LISLE BOWLES |