@3Br these presents, be it known To all who bend before our throne, Fays and Fairies, Elves and Sprites, Beauteous Dames and gallant Knights, That We, Oberon the Grand, Emperor of Fairy Land, King of Moonshine, Prince of Dreams, Lord of Aganippe's streams, Baron of the dimpled isles That lie in pretty maiden's smiles, Arch-Treasurer of all the graces Dispersed through fifty lovely faces, Sovereign of the Flipper's Order With all the rites thereon that border, Defender of the Sylphic Faith, Declare@1 -- and thus your Monarch saith. Whereas there is a noble dame Whom mortals, Countess Temple name, To whom Ourself didst erst impart The choicest secrets of our art, Taught her to tune th' harmonious line To our own melody divine, Taught her the graceful negligence Which, scorning Art and veiling Sense, Achieves that conquest o'er the heart Sense seldom gains; and never Art. This Lady, 'tis our Royal Will Our Laureat's vacant seat should fill. A chaplet of immortal bays Shall crown her brows, and guard her Lays. Of Nectar-Sack an acorn cup Be, at her board, each year, filled up. And as each Quarter Feast comes round, A Silver Penny shall be found Within the compass of her shoe; And so We bid you all, Adieu! Given at our Palace of Cowslip Castle, The shortest night of the year. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...NO MATTER WHAT, AFTER ALL, AND THAT BEAUTIFUL WORD SO by HAYDEN CARRUTH WHEN THE SPEED COMES by ROBERT FROST ABOVE AND WITHIN by DAVID IGNATOW SPOON RIVER ANTHOLOGY: WILLIAM JONES by EDGAR LEE MASTERS LIKE A BULRUSH by MARIANNE MOORE THE BEAST OF BURDEN by MARIANNE MOORE |