De Profundis

Christina Georgina Rossetti 1830 (London) – 1894 (London)



Oh why is heaven built so far,
         Oh why is earth set so remote?
     I cannot reach the nearest star
         That hangs afloat.

     I would not care to reach the moon,
         One round monotonous of change;
     Yet even she repeats her tune
         Beyond my range.

     I never watch the scatter'd fire
       Of stars, or sun's far-trailing train,
   But all my heart is one desire,
       And all in vain:

   For I am bound with fleshly bands,
       Joy, beauty, lie beyond my scope;
   I strain my heart, I stretch my hands,
       And catch at hope.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 23, 2023

29 sec read
94

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABAB CDCD EFEF GHGH
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 561
Words 95
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4

Christina Georgina Rossetti

Christina Georgina Rossetti was an English poet who wrote various romantic, devotional, and children's poems. "Goblin Market" and "Remember" remain famous. She wrote the words of two Christmas carols well known in the UK: "In the Bleak Midwinter", later set by Gustav Holst and by Harold Darke, and "Love Came Down at Christmas", set by Harold Darke and by other composers. more…

All Christina Georgina Rossetti poems | Christina Georgina Rossetti Books

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