Clair de Lune

Arthur Symons 1865 (Milford Haven) – 1945



In the moonlit room your face,
Moonlight-coloured, fainting white,
And the silence of the place
Round about us in the night,
And my arms are round about you
In the silence of the night.
 
Lips that are not mine to kiss,
Lips how often kissed in vain,
Broken seal of memories,
Where the kisses come again
That the lips of all your lovers
Laid upon your lips in vain;
 
Eyes that are not mine to keep
In the mirror of mine eyes,
Where I tremble lest from sleep
Other ghosts should re-arise;
Why enthrall me with your magic,
Haunting lips, triumphant eyes?
 
For the silence of the night
Swims around me like a stream,
And your eyes have caught the light
Of a moon-enchanted dream,
And your arms glide round about me,
And I fade into a dream.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

42 sec read
112

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABABXB XCXXXC DEDEXE BFBFXF
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 721
Words 140
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 6, 6, 6, 6

Arthur Symons

Arthur William Symons, was a British poet, critic and magazine editor. more…

All Arthur Symons poems | Arthur Symons Books

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