EB Browning

Found this on another site, thought I'd share.
Its one of Elizabeth Barret Browning's sonnets. She was 6 years older than her husband, Robert Browning, and married him much against her father's wishes. I'm sure in the early 1800's the woman being 6 years older than the man was far more shocking. I really like the analogy of feeling like a worn instrument brought to life by a master player. That pretty well sums it up for me.

The first time that the sun rose on thine oath

To love me, I looked forward to the moon

To slacken all those bonds which seemed too soon

And quickly tied to make a lasting troth.

Quick-loving hearts, I thought, may quickly loathe;

And, looking on myself, I seemed not one

For such man's love!--more like an out-of-tune

Worn viol, a good singer would be wroth

To spoil his song with, and which, snatched in haste,

Is laid down at the first ill-sounding note.

I did not wrong myself so, but I placed

A wrong on thee For perfect strains may float

'Neath master-hands, from instruments defaced,--

And great souls, at one stroke, may do and dote.

It is a beautiful sonnet Bella I agree ........ Althought I would argue that Elizabeth was actually refering more to her state of health then her age ....... She was a Consumptive, therefore unable to live a normal life.......... Their love story is a beautiful one tho and inspired both of them to greater heights in their writing

Well, yeah, but still she didn't feel good enough for him, same issue. She was also considered a hopeless old maid by the standards of the times, and had given up ever having a husband of her own.
They had one of history's greatest love stories.

As far as I understood from their story, they fell in love before meeeting...he liked her poems, and http://pages.prodigy.net/indianahawkeye/newpage40/19.gif wrote her a letter, and they exchanged 574 letters after that first one...

They would not be surprised by a love born in the web, full of messages and dreams before the actual meeting, would they?
http://pages.prodigy.net/indianahawkeye/newpage30/13.gif

Here u go Trish :D it is a fav of mine too, just don't go telling anyone LOL


Sonnet XLIII

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of every day's
Most quiet need, by sun and candlelight.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love with a passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints, -- I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life! -- and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.

~ Elizabeth Barret Browning~

I love poetry as you might guess from my sig. I think it would be great if all of the poetry lovers posted their favorite poem here. (if Bella doesn't think that is hijacking her thread :) )

I am so excited about my upcoming visit with my YM -12 days-and one (of many!) of the things I am looking forward to is, he is going to read poetry to me one afternoon. We are going to find a lovely park or other outdoor setting (maybe on the grounds of some castle..we will be in Scotland and Britain) and I am going to lay my head in his lap and look at the clouds (and his face) as he reads to me! I think I will be in heaven. He has the best British accent I have ever heard and his voice.....sigh...well, it is sexy!

*Bringing myself back to today*

Anyway one of my favorite poems (aside from my sig) is

Love's Philosophy

The fountains mingle with the river,
And the rivers with the ocean;
The winds of heaven mix forever,
With a sweet emotion;
Nothing in the world is single;
All things by a law divine
In one another's being mingle;--
Why not I with thine?

See! the mountains kiss high heaven,
And the waves clasp one another;
No sister flower would be forgiven,
If it disdained it's brother;
And the sunlight clasps the earth,
And the moonbeams kiss the sea;--
What are all these kissings worth,
If thou kiss not me?

- Percy Bysshe Shelley

There r so many good poets an I like so many poems it is difficult to come up with favorites:D ......... Rabbie Burns is my favorite especially in dialect :D


To A Mouse
by Robert Burns


Wee, sleekit, cowrin, tim'rous beastie,
O, what a panic's in thy breastie!
Thou need na start awa sae hasty,
Wi' bickering brattle!
I wad be laith to rin an' chase thee
Wi' murd'ring pattle!

I'm truly sorry man's dominion,
Has broken nature's social union,
An' justifies that ill opinion,
What makes thee startle
At me, thy poor, earth-born companion,
An' fellow-mortal!

I doubt na, whiles, but thou may thieve;
What then? poor beastie, thou maun live!
A daimen icker in a thrave
'S a sma' request;
I'll get a blessin wi' the lave,
An' never miss't!

Thy wee bit housie, too, in ruin!
It's silly wa's the win's are strewin!
An' naething, now, to big a new ane,
O' foggage green!
An' bleak December's winds ensuin,
Baith snell an' keen!

Thou saw the fields laid bare an' waste,
An' weary winter comin fast,
An' cozie here, beneath the blast,
Thou thought to dwell -
Till crash! the cruel coulter past
Out thro' thy cell.

That wee bit heap o' leaves an' stibble,
Has cost thee mony a weary nibble!
Now thou's turn'd out, for a' thy trouble,
But house or hald,
To thole the winter's sleety dribble,
An' cranreuch cauld!

But Mousie, thou art no thy lane,
In proving foresight may be vain;
The best-laid schemes o' mice an' men
Gang aft agley,
An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain,
For promis'd joy!

Still thou art blest, compar'd wi' me;
The present only toucheth thee:
But och! I backward cast my e'e,
On prospects dreaer!
An' forward, tho' I canna see,
I guess an' fear!


Yes I can read it aloud tho not perfectly :(

I would just love to hear that read aloud with the dialect!! I love Robert Burns. I have to look up some places to go in Scotland where he lived etc. Btw...new avatar....LOOKS GREAT! I see the definition in your arm.(I gotta get out the weights)

I just copied the Sonnet XLIII and left it on the kitchen counter for Robin to find when he gets home from work. I know he'll be thrilled! :) Thanks for the lovely thread!

Sonnets from the Portuguese XIV

If thou must love me, let it be for nought
Except for love's sake only. Do not say
'I love her for her smile--her look--her way
Of speaking gently,--for a trick of thought
That falls in well with mine, and certes brought
A sense of pleasant ease on such a day'--
For these things in themselves, Beloved, may
Be changed, or change for thee,--and love, so wrought,
May be unwrought so. Neither love me for
Thine own dear pity's wiping my cheeks dry,--
A creature might forget to weep, who bore
Thy comfort long, and lose thy love thereby !
But love me for love's sake, that evermore
Thou mayst love on, through love's eternity.

-- Elizabeth Barrett Browning

I just copied down the Sonnets from the Portuguese XIV and will leave it in the van for Robin to read on his work break tomorrow. Thanks again! This is a fun little way to romantically connect with my sweetheart! :)

i carry your heart with me
by e. e. cummings

i carry your heart with me(i carry it in
my heart)i am never without it(anywhere
i go you go,my dear;and whatever is done
by only me is your doing,my darling)
i fear
not fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want
no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows
higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)