OF ENGLISH SONNETS

LORD ALFRED DOUGLAS

BEAUTY AND THE HUNTER

WHERE lurks the shining quarry, swift and shy,
Immune, elusive, unsubstantial?

In what dim forests of the soul, where call
No birds, and no beasts creep? (the hunter's cry
Wounds the deep darkness, and the low winds sigh
Through avenues of trees whose faint leaves fall
Down to the velvet ground, and like a pall
The violet shadows cover all the sky).

With what gold nets, what silver-pointed spears
May we surprise her, what slim flutes inspire
With breath of what serene enchanted air ?—
Wash we our star-ward gazing eyes with tears,
Till on their pools (drawn by our white desire)
She bend and look, and leave her image there.

OF ENGLISH SONNETS

THE HON. MAURICE BARING

ΛΕΙΡΙΟΕΣΣΑ ΚΑΛΥΞ

(THE HEART OF THE LILY)

SHE listened to the music of the spheres;

We thought she did not hear our happy strings;
Stars diadem'd her hair in misty rings,

And all too late we knew those stars were tears.
Without she was a temple of pure snow, c
Within were piteous flames of sacrifice; d
And underneath the dazzling mask of ice
A heart of swiftest fire was dying slow.

She in herself, as lonely lilies fold e
Stiff silver petals over secret gold, e

с

Shielded her passion and remained afar
From pity. Cast red roses on the pyre!
She that was snow shall rise to Heaven as fire
In the still glory of the morning star.

OF ENGLISH SONNETS

RUPERT BROOKE

THE SOLDIER

IF I should die, think only this of me:
That there's some corner of a foreign field
That is for ever England. There shall be

In that rich earth a richer dust concealed;
A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware,
Gave, once, her flowers to love, her ways to roam,
A body of England's, breathing English air,
Washed by the rivers, blest by suns of home.

And think, this heart, all evil shed away,

A pulse in the eternal mind, no less

Gives somewhere back the thoughts by England given; Her sights and sounds; dreams happy as her day; And laughter, learnt of friends; and gentleness, In hearts at peace, under an English heaven.

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