Flesh and Spirit
William Baylebridge 1883 (Brisbane) – 1942
No! 'twas the questing dream that first achieved her--
More sensed for knowing no material part,
More real that no false outward eye perceived her,
Too gross, but that pure eye within my heart.
Nor feigned I, as my spirit so embraced her,
These arms encumbered might; ah! could they too,
Would she not fade as vision e'er effaced her,
As loves in this weak flesh so often do?
In flesh she might escape me, might expire
In the vicissitudes through flesh that range;
But, being the shadow of my heart's desire,
She could not pass beyond me, could not change.
O paradox! Want food--you are richer fed!
Lack the coarse crumbs--you find diviner bread!
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 14, 2023
- 35 sec read
- 112 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | ABABACACDEAEFF |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 654 |
Words | 117 |
Stanzas | 1 |
Stanza Lengths | 14 |
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"Flesh and Spirit" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Mar. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/39069/flesh-and-spirit>.
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