She Shall Not Guess

Wilfrid Scawen Blunt 1840 (Petworth House) – 1922 (United Kingdom)



Even if I died no sound should tell it her.
Death babbles, but the calm of her dear eyes
In vain would ask, no tell--tale breath should stir
The lips still treasuring a thought unwise.
How vain my life has been in its disguise,
Left unregarded, her least pensioner,
Yielding to all, unasking even with sighs
The dole of hope not Heaven could quite confer.
--To--day behold me on this page her name
Over my own inscribing, with no prayer,
Nor daring even to kneel in my distress.
What I have written in this candle's flame
Shrinks ere 'tis finished, and the incensed air
Bears but betrays it not. She shall not guess.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

34 sec read
120

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABABBABACDECDE
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 611
Words 115
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 14

Wilfrid Scawen Blunt

Wilfrid Scawen Blunt was an English poet and writer. more…

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