To His lady,

Edith Nesbit 1858 (Kennington, Surrey ) – 1924 (New Romney, Kent)



IMPLORING HER TO BE TRUE

MISTRESS of me, mistress of all the arts
And charms that sway men's hot ungoverned hearts,
Receive their tribute--smile at their defeat;
I do not ask that you should spare them, sweet.
Only I ask that in the secret shrine
No prayers be heard, no offering laid, but mine.
Each man who sees your eyes must needs lay down
Low at your feet the votive myrtle crown:
Let them bring crowns to die beneath your feet;
I, only I, must bring the crown you wear
Shadowing the sombre glory of your hair.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

30 sec read
124

Quick analysis:

Scheme X AABBCCDDBEE
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 522
Words 99
Stanzas 2
Stanza Lengths 1, 11

Edith Nesbit

Edith Nesbit (married name Edith Bland) was an English author and poet; she published her books for children under the name of E. Nesbit. She wrote or collaborated on more than 60 books of children's literature. She was also a political activist and co-founded the Fabian Society, a socialist organisation later affiliated to the Labour Party. more…

All Edith Nesbit poems | Edith Nesbit Books

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