The Clematis



Fair crown of stars of purest ray,
   Hung aloft on Mapau tree,
What floral beauties ye display,
   Stars of snowy purity;
Around the dark-leaved mapau's head
Unsullied garlands ye have spread.

Concealed were all thy beauties rare
   'Neath the dark umbrageous shade,
But still to gain the loftiest spray,
   Thy weak stem its efforts made;
Now, every obstacle o'ercome,
Thou smilest from thy leafy home.

That home secure, 'mid sombre leaves
   Yielded by thy stalwart spouse,
Helps thee to show thy fairy crown,
   Decorates his dusky boughs:
His strength, thy beauty, both unite
And form a picture to delight.

Fair flower, methinks thou dost afford
   Emblem of a perfect wife,
Whose work is hidden from the world,
   Till, perchance, her husband's life
Is by her influence beautified,
And this by others is descried.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

41 sec read
127

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABABCC XDADEE XXXXFF XGXGCC
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 827
Words 135
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 6, 6, 6, 6

Alexander Bathgate

Alexander Bathgate was a New Zealand lawyer, company director, writer and conservationist. He was born in Peebles, Peeblesshire, Scotland on 4 August 1845. He was the son of John Bathgate. When Alexander was 18 years old, and was studying at the University of Edinburgh he migrated to Dunedin with his parents, brother and sisters. He was admitted as a barrister and solicitor in 1872. In 1909 he retired.  more…

All Alexander Bathgate poems | Alexander Bathgate Books

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