To M. S. G.

George Gordon Lord Byron 1788 (London) – 1824 (Missolonghi, Aetolia)



Whene'er I view those lips of thine,
   Their hue invites my fervent kiss;
Yet, I forego that bliss divine,
   Alas! it were---unhallow'd bliss.

Whene'er I dream of that pure breast,
   How could I dwell upon its snows!
Yet, is the daring wish represt,
   For that,---would banish its repose.

A glance from thy soul-searching eye
   Can raise with hope, depress with fear;
Yet, I conceal my love,---and why?
   I would not force a painful tear.

I ne'er have told my love, yet thou
   Hast seen my ardent flame too well;
And shall I plead my passion now,
   To make thy bosom's heaven a hell?

No! for thou never canst be mine,
   United by the priest's decree:
By any ties but those divine,
   Mine, my belov'd, thou ne'er shalt be.

Then let the secret fire consume,
   Let it consume, thou shalt not know:
With joy I court a certain doom,
   Rather than spread its guilty glow.

I will not ease my tortur'd heart,
   By driving dove-ey'd peace from thine;
Rather than such a sting impart,
   Each thought presumptuous I resign.

Yes! yield those lips, for which I'd brave
   More than I here shall dare to tell;
Thy innocence and mine to save,---
   I bid thee now a last farewell.

Yes! yield that breast, to seek despair
   And hope no more thy soft embrace;
Which to obtain, my soul would dare,
   All, all reproach, but thy disgrace.

At least from guilt shalt thou be free,
   No matron shall thy shame reprove;
Though cureless pangs may prey on me,
   No martyr shalt thou be to love.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 20, 2023

1:23 min read
82

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABAB CDCD EXEF GHGH AIAI JKJK LALA MHMH FNFN IMIX
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 1,494
Words 267
Stanzas 10
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4

George Gordon Lord Byron

George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron, known simply as Lord Byron, was an English poet, peer and politician who became a revolutionary in the Greek War of Independence, and is considered one of the leading figures of the Romantic movement. He is regarded as one of the greatest English poets and remains widely read and influential. Among his best-known works are the lengthy narrative poems Don Juan and Childe Harold's Pilgrimage; many of his shorter lyrics in Hebrew Melodies also became popular. He travelled extensively across Europe, especially in Italy, where he lived for seven years in the cities of Venice, Ravenna, and Pisa. During his stay in Italy he frequently visited his friend and fellow poet Percy Bysshe Shelley. Later in life Byron joined the Greek War of Independence fighting the Ottoman Empire and died of disease leading a campaign during that war, for which Greeks revere him as a national hero. He died in 1824 at the age of 36 from a fever contracted after the First and Second Siege of Missolonghi. His only legitimate child, Ada Lovelace, is regarded as a foundational figure in the field of computer programming based on her notes for Charles Babbage's Analytical Engine. Byron's illegitimate children include Allegra Byron, who died in childhood, and possibly Elizabeth Medora Leigh.  more…

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