Gretna Green
Edith Nesbit 1858 (Kennington, Surrey ) – 1924 (New Romney, Kent)
Last night when I kissed you,
My soul caught alight;
And oh! how I missed you
The rest of the night -
Till Love in derision
Smote sleep with his wings,
And gave me in vision
Impossible things.
A night that was clouded,
Long windows asleep;
Dark avenues crowded
With secrets to keep.
A terrace, a lover,
A foot on the stair;
The waiting was over,
The lady was there.
What a flight, what a night!
The hoofs splashed and pounded.
Dark fainted in light
And the first bird-notes sounded.
You slept on my shoulder,
Shy night hid your face;
But dawn, bolder, colder,
Beheld our embrace.
Your lips of vermilion,
Your ravishing shape,
The flogging postillion,
The village agape,
The rattle and thunder
Of postchaise a-speed . . .
My woman, my wonder,
My ultimate need!
We two matched for mating
Came, handclasped, at last,
Where the blacksmith was waiting
To fetter us fast . . .
At the touch of the fetter
The dream snapped and fell -
And I woke to your letter
That bade me farewell.
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 20, 2023
- 52 sec read
- 64 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | ABABCDCD EFGFHIHI BEBGHJHJ CKCKHLHL MNMNHOHO |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic trimeter |
Characters | 944 |
Words | 176 |
Stanzas | 5 |
Stanza Lengths | 8, 8, 8, 8, 8 |
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"Gretna Green" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Mar. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/8832/gretna-green>.
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