Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE TINY HAT UPON THE BROW, by LEVI BISHOP



Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE TINY HAT UPON THE BROW, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: That elfin crown, so light and neat
Last Line: Not diadem upon the brow.
Subject(s): Art & Artists; Courts & Courtiers; Nature; Soul; Royal Court Life; Royalty; Kings; Queens


That elfin crown, so light and neat,
Might well a fairy queen endow;
With flower or plumage all complete --
The tiny hat upon the brow.

It rides the chignon lifted high,
Like regal bonnet on the prow,
Triumphantly; yet some decry,
This janty chapeau on the brow.

The crusty cynic we may see,
Bent fiercely on "domestic row,"
Who calls it, in his fiendish glee,
A cabbage leaf upon the brow.

Ah, what a stupid cabbage head,
That to perfection will not bow!
Could he admire, so vulgar bred,
This true perfection on the brow!

Its color -- texture -- delicate,
Like bloom of summer on the bough;
Behold, the prince of courtly state --
This bloom of roses on the brow!

Thou snowy cap of alpine peak,
That glitters in the sunlight now,
To rival this no longer seek --
This beacon light upon the brow!

Like crest upon the foaming tide;
As evanescent all allow;
Yet when it decks the lovely bride,
Oh, bridal garland on the brow!

The use need not our souls perplex;
Its taste no one can disallow;
Enough, it crowns the gentler sex --
A crown of glory on the brow.

And yet that blooming cheek below,
Far, far outshines it all avow;
No art can rival nature's flow,
Not diadem upon the brow.





Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!


Other Poems of Interest...



Home: PoetryExplorer.net