THE WORLD
by: Christina Rossetti
(1830-1894)
- Y day she woos me, soft, exceeding
fair:
- But all night as the moon so changeth she;
- Loathsome and foul with hideous leprosy
- And subtle serpents gliding in her hair.
- By day she woos me to the outer air,
- Ripe fruits, sweet flowers, and full satiety:
- But through the night, a beast she grins at me,
- A very monster void of love and prayer.
- By day she stands a lie: by night she stands
- In all the naked horror of the truth
- With pushing horns and clawed and clutching hands.
- Is this a friend indeed; that I should sell
- My soul to her, give her my life and youth,
- Till my feet, cloven too, take hold on hell?
"The World" is reprinted
from Goblin Market, The Prince's Progress and Other Poems.
Christina Rosetti. London: Macmillan 1879. |
MORE POEMS BY CHRISTINA ROSSETTI |
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