Symbols
Christina Georgina Rossetti 1830 (London) – 1894 (London)
I watched a rosebud very long
Brought on by dew and sun and shower,
Waiting to see the perfect flower:
Then, when I thought it should be strong,
It opened at the matin hour
And fell at evensong.
I watched a nest from day to day,
A green nest full of pleasant shade,
Wherein three speckled eggs were laid:
But when they should have hatched in May,
The two old birds had grown afraid
Or tired, and flew away.
Then in my wrath I broke the bough
That I had tended so with care,
Hoping its scent should fill the air;
I crushed the eggs, not heeding how
Their ancient promise had been fair:
I would have vengeance now.
But the dead branch spoke from the sod,
And the eggs answered me again:
Because we failed dost thou complain?
Is thy wrath just? And what if God,
Who waiteth for thy fruits in vain,
Should also take the rod?
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 27, 2023
- 48 sec read
- 226 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | ABBABA CDDCDC EFFEFE GXHGHG |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 807 |
Words | 161 |
Stanzas | 4 |
Stanza Lengths | 6, 6, 6, 6 |
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"Symbols" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 4 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/5928/symbols>.
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