Modern Love XLII: I Am to Follow Her
George Meredith 1828 (Portsmouth, Hampshire) – 1909 (Box Hill, Surrey)
I am to follow her. There is much grace
In woman when thus bent on martyrdom.
They think that dignity of soul may come,
Perchance, with dignity of body. Base!
But I was taken by that air of cold
And statuesque sedateness, when she said
'I'm going'; lit a taper, bowed her head,
And went, as with the stride of Pallas bold.
Fleshly indifference horrible! The hands
Of Time now signal: O, she's safe from me!
Within those secret walls what do I see
Where first she set the taper down she stands:
Not Pallas: Hebe shamed! Thoughts black as death,
Like a stirred pool in sunshine break. Her wrists
I catch: she faltering, as she half resists,
'You love. . . ? love. . . ? love. . . ?' all on an in-drawn breath.
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 39 sec read
- 104 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | ABBACDDCEFFEGHHG |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 715 |
Words | 130 |
Stanzas | 1 |
Stanza Lengths | 16 |
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"Modern Love XLII: I Am to Follow Her" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/15521/modern-love-xlii:-i-am-to-follow-her>.
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