It is nothing to me that what I write should find immediate or general acceptance: it is much to know that on the whole it has won for me the right to address this dedication and inscribe this edition to you.
PAGE A BALLAD OF LIFE 1 A BALLAD OF DEATH 4 LAUS VENERIS 11 PHÆDRA 27 THE TRIUMPH OF TIME 34 LES NOYADES 48 A LEAVE-TAKING 52 ITYLUS 54 ANACTORIA 57 HYMN TO PROSERPINE 67 ILICET 74 HERMAPHRODITUS 79 FRAGOLETTA 82 RONDEL 85 SATIA TE SANGUINE 87 A LITANY 89 A LAMENTATION 95 ANIMA ANCEPS 100 IN THE ORCHARD 102 A MATCH 104 FAUSTINE 106 A CAMEO 113 SONG BEFORE DEATH 114 ROCOCO 115 STAGE LOVE 118 THE LEPER 119 A BALLAD OF BURDENS 125 RONDEL 128 BEFORE THE MIRROR 129 EROTION 132 IN MEMORY OF WALTER SAVAGE LANDOR 134 A SONG IN TIME OF ORDER. 1852 137 A SONG IN TIME OF REVOLUTION. 1860. 140 TO VICTOR HUGO 144 BEFORE DAWN 151 DOLORES 154 THE GARDEN OF PROSERPINE 169 HESPERIA 173 LOVE AT SEA 179 APRIL 181 BEFORE PARTING 184 THE SUNDEW 186 FÉLISE 188 AN INTERLUDE 199 HENDECASYLLABICS 202 SAPPHICS 204 AT ELEUSIS 208 AUGUST 215 A CHRISTMAS CAROL 218 THE MASQUE OF QUEEN BERSABE 221 ST. DOROTHY 237 THE TWO DREAMS 252 AHOLIBAH 266 LOVE AND SLEEP 272 MADONNA MIA 273 THE KING'S DAUGHTER 276 AFTER DEATH 279 MAY JANET 282 THE BLOODY SON 284 THE SEA-SWALLOWS 288 THE YEAR OF LOVE 291 DEDICATION, 1865 293
I found in dreams a place of wind and flowers, Full of sweet trees and colour of glad grass, In midst whereof there was A lady clothed like summer with sweet hours. Her beauty, fervent as a fiery moon, Made my blood burn and swoon Like a flame rained upon. Sorrow had filled her shaken eyelids' blue, And her mouth's sad red heavy rose all through Seemed sad with glad things gone.
She held a little cithern by the strings, Shaped heartwise, strung with subtle-coloured hair Of some dead lute-player That in dead years had done delicious things. The seven strings were named accordingly; The first string charity, The second tenderness, The rest were pleasure, sorrow, sleep, and sin, And loving-kindness, that is pity's kin And is most pitiless.
There were three men with her, each garmented With gold and shod with gold upon the feet; And with plucked ears of wheat The first man's hair was wound upon his head: His face was red, and his mouth curled and sad; All his gold garment had Pale stains of dust and rust. A riven hood was pulled across his eyes; The token of him being upon this wise Made for a sign of Lust.