SHE was too delicate to give or take Life's rough ripostes—face its vulgarities; Too proud to yield in base compliances To its demands; she would not deign to make Concessions, for her own advantage sake, To the dark gods of Favor; or appease Success, Life's lackey, with a lackey's fees— Her alabaster box she would not break! Life's wine, for her, must pass a finer sieve Ere she would taste its sweetness—she disdained To quaff—or lift—its chalice ... all unstrained! And so ... she passed, who would not stoop to live— Serene, aloof, @3and smiling now@1, she lies ... Death asked of her to make no compromise! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...WATERS OF BABYLON by LOUIS UNTERMEYER KING DAVID by STEPHEN VINCENT BENET THE EVENING STAR by THOMAS CAMPBELL MARY'S LAMB by SARAH JOSEPHA BUELL HALE WRITTEN IN IRELAND by MARY (CUMBERLAND) ALCOCK NEIGHBOR NELLY by ROBERT BARNABAS BROUGH THE WANDERER: PROLOGUE. PART 2 by EDWARD ROBERT BULWER-LYTTON |