Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, LA NASCITA DE VENERE (BOTTICELLI), by GRACE E. TOLLEMACHE


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

LA NASCITA DE VENERE (BOTTICELLI), by                    
First Line: Prince of the painters' perished brotherhood
Last Line: Jesus, from jordan's baptism new-born!
Subject(s): Botticelli, Sandro (1444-1510); Paintings And Painters; Filipepi, Alesandro Di Mariano


PRINCE of the painters' perished brother-hood,
Who lavished on their art the purple dyes
Of pansies, and the rose's crimson blood,
How vision-like does thy pale Venus rise,—
While some fleet-footed nymph to robe her flies!

All white and shimmering, from the waves wind-curled,
New-woke, and wondering wistfully to be,—
Like thine own mystic mediæval world;—
A gentle lovely woman,—but not she
Who sprang, unaging, from the immortal sea;

But mild of mien, and pensive-souled and sad,
As the Maid-mother of the Christ thorn-crowned,
As though, wide-eyed, some wandering dream she had,
And in her ear the waves' wild mirth were drowned
By sad, sweet music, or some plaintive sound:

A zephyr winged blows breezes salt and sweet,
With floating foam and flowers flung in the air,
To fan the tresses that would touch her feet,
But like some fair Eve first of shame aware,
She hides her nudeness with their shining hair.

Is this Love's goddess? Nay, God's Holy Maid
With just such modest grace thou didst adorn,
And matching this, well might'st thou have portrayed
With look compassionate, guiltless, yet for-lorn—
Jesus, from Jordan's baptism new-born!





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