Of Beauty and Duty
Dante Alighieri 1265 (Florence) – 1321 (Ravenna)
TWO ladies to the summit of my mind
Have clomb, to hold an argument of love.
The one has wisdom with her from above,
For every noblest virtue well designed:
The other, beauty's tempting power refined
And the high charm of perfect grace approve:
And I, as my sweet Master's will doth move,
At feet of both their favors am reclined.
Beauty and Duty in my soul keep strife,
At question if the heart such course can take
And 'twixt the two ladies hold its love complete.
The fount of gentle speech yields answer meet,
That Beauty may be loved for gladness sake,
And Duty in the lofty ends of life
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on April 04, 2023
- 34 sec read
- 52 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | ABBAACCADEFFED |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 587 |
Words | 113 |
Stanzas | 1 |
Stanza Lengths | 14 |
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"Of Beauty and Duty" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 13 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/7455/of-beauty-and-duty>.
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