The Lily Has A Smooth Stalk

Christina Georgina Rossetti 1830 (London) – 1894 (London)



The lily has a smooth stalk,
Will never hurt your hand;
But the rose upon her briar
Is lady of the land.
There's sweetness in an apple tree,
And profit in the corn;
But lady of all beauty
Is a rose upon a thorn.
When with moss and honey
She tips her bending briar,
And half unfolds her glowing heart,
She sets the world on fire.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 14, 2023

20 sec read
90

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABCBDEDEDCFC
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 336
Words 68
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 12

Christina Georgina Rossetti

Christina Georgina Rossetti was an English poet who wrote various romantic, devotional, and children's poems. "Goblin Market" and "Remember" remain famous. She wrote the words of two Christmas carols well known in the UK: "In the Bleak Midwinter", later set by Gustav Holst and by Harold Darke, and "Love Came Down at Christmas", set by Harold Darke and by other composers. more…

All Christina Georgina Rossetti poems | Christina Georgina Rossetti Books

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