Lilian
Alfred Lord Tennyson 1809 – 1892
I
Airy, Fairy Lilian,
Flitting, fairy Lilian,
When I ask her if she love me,
Claps her tiny hands above me,
Laughing all she can;
She 'll not tell me if she love me,
Cruel little Lilian.
II
When my passion seeks
Pleasance in love-sighs,
She, looking thro' and thro' me
Thoroughly to undo me,
Smiling, never speaks:
So innocent-arch, so cunning-simple,
From beneath her gathered wimple
Glancing with black-bearded eyes,
Till the lightning laughters dimple
The baby-roses in her cheeks;
Then away she flies.
III
Prythee weep, May Lilian!
Gaiety without eclipse
Whearieth me, May Lilian;
Thro' my every heart it thrilleth
When from crimson-threaded lips
Silver-treble laughter trilleth:
Prythee weep, May Lilian!
IV
Praying all I can,
If prayers will not hush thee,
Airy Lilian,
Like a rose-leaf I will crush thee,
Fairy Lilian.
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on April 21, 2023
- 41 sec read
- 126 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | abbccbcb adeccdffefde aBgbhghB xbcbcb |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic trimeter |
Characters | 934 |
Words | 138 |
Stanzas | 4 |
Stanza Lengths | 8, 12, 8, 6 |
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"Lilian" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 11 Oct. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/1036/lilian>.
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