A Birthday Present
Alfred Austin 1835 (Leeds) – 1913 (Ashford)
```Say what, to please you, you would have me be.''
Then listen, dear!
I fain would have you very fair to see,
And sweet to hear.
`You should have Aphrodite's form and face,
With Dian's tread;
And something of Minerva's lofty grace
Should crown your head.
`Summer should wander in your voice, and Spring
Gleam in your gaze,
And pure thoughts ripen in your heart that bring
Calm Autumn days.
`Yours should be winning ways that make Love live,
And ne'er grow old,
With ever something yet more sweet to give,
Which you withhold.
`You should have generous hopes that can beguile
Life's doubts and fears,
And, ever waiting on your April smile,
The gift of tears.
`You should be close to us as earth and sea,
And yet as far
As Heaven itself. In sooth, I'd have you be
Just what you are.'
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 31, 2023
- 45 sec read
- 136 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | AXAX BCBC DEDE XFXF GXGX AHAH |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 766 |
Words | 148 |
Stanzas | 6 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4 |
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"A Birthday Present" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 20 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/624/a-birthday-present>.
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