A LILY-GIRL, not made for this world's pain, With brown, soft hair close braided by her ears, And longing eyes half veiled by slumberous tears Like bluest water seen through mists of rain: Pale cheeks whereon no love hath left its stain, Red underlip drawn in for fear of love, And white throat, whiter than the silvered dove, Through whose wan marble creeps one purple vein. Yet, though my lips shall praise her without cease, Even to kiss her feet I am not bold, Being o'ershadowed by the wings of awe. Like Dante, when he stood with Beatrice Beneath the flaming Lion's breast, and saw The seventh Crystal, and the Stair of Gold. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE DAYS GONE BY by JAMES WHITCOMB RILEY TO THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE, IN NEW-ENGLAND by PHILLIS WHEATLEY REALISM by THOMAS BAILEY ALDRICH NATIONALITY IN DRINKS by ROBERT BROWNING THE MOURNING MUSE OF THESTYLIS by LODOWICK BRYSKETT PENELOPE'S LOVER by RICHARD EUGENE BURTON |