Classic and Contemporary Poetry
VALENTINE: TO G. P. MORRIS, by SARA JANE CLARKE LIPPINCOTT Poet's Biography First Line: Apollo once had leave to travel Last Line: "there's the thief that stole my lyre!" Alternate Author Name(s): Greenwood, Grace Subject(s): Holidays; Morris, George Pope (1802-1864); Valentine's Day | ||||||||
APOLLO once had leave to travel; He sought our Yankee land, And he lionized it through, With his golden lyre in hand. Once, at "a cottage near a wood," Which promised welcome's smile, He thought, by general invitation, To rusticate awhile. One morn he woke, -- he yawned, -- he turned, -- Sprang up with fright and grief, And cried," By George! my lyre is stolen: Without there, ho! stop thief!" But vainly sought he east and west, Half mad, -- all br. broken-hearted; O, a most ungodlike look he wore, With his glory all departed! At last he turned Olympus-ward, Thus lyreless, -- woe's the day! For Juno frowned, and Venus wept, And Cupid ran away! Those ennuied gods and goddesses, Upon their mount sublime, O, had they not a weary lot, A dull and dozing time! One morn there rose upon the air Most sweet, though mortal song, By Zephyrus' glad wing upborne To charm that heavenly throng. Fair Venus bent her pearly car, Then earthward fixed her gaze, And smiled a curious kind of smile, Half pleasure, -- half amaze. "I see a mortal bard, his hand Across a lyre's strings flinging, And mortal lips catch up the strains, Till all the land is ringing! "About him throng the fair and young, -- They crown him! -- I declare, Fast by him stands my truant boy! -- Apollo, dear, look there!" The god rose from his cloud-divan: "Ha! by my thundering sire, I understand that game of Morris. There's the thief that stole my lyre!" | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...DARKENED HOURS by SARA JANE CLARKE LIPPINCOTT DREAMS by SARA JANE CLARKE LIPPINCOTT EMILIE PLATER by SARA JANE CLARKE LIPPINCOTT FANNY FORESTER by SARA JANE CLARKE LIPPINCOTT HERVEY TO NINA - MISS BREMER by SARA JANE CLARKE LIPPINCOTT I WILL NEVER GROW OLD by SARA JANE CLARKE LIPPINCOTT ILLUMINATION FOR VICTORIES IN MEXICO by SARA JANE CLARKE LIPPINCOTT INVOCATION TO MOTHER EARTH by SARA JANE CLARKE LIPPINCOTT LOVE'S EMBLEMS by SARA JANE CLARKE LIPPINCOTT LOVE-LETTER TO A FRIEND by SARA JANE CLARKE LIPPINCOTT |
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