A Child of Twelve A child most infantine Yet wandering far beyond that innocent age She moved upon this earth a shape of brightness, To nourish some far desert; she did seem As mine own shadow was this child to me. This playmate sweet, This child of twelve years old. PERCY BYSSHE SHELLEY. From "The Revolt of Islam." A Garden of Girls A Garden of Girls Chloe It was the charming month of May, The feather'd people you might see, They hail the charming Chloe; ROBERT BURNS. O Mally's Meek, Mally's Sweet As I was walking up the street, A barefit maid I chanced to meet; For that fair maiden's tender feet. Mally's every way complete. It were more meet that those fine feet Her yellow hair, beyond compare, Comes trinkling down her swan-white neck, Mally's modest and discreet, Mally's rare, Mally's fair, Mally's every way complete. ROBERT BURNS. A Garden of Girls A Garden of Girls Who Is Silvia? Who is Silvia? What is she, That all our swains commend her? Holy, fair, and wise is she; The heaven such grace did lend her, That she might admirèd be. Is she kind as she is fair? For beauty lives with kindness: To help him of his blindness; Then to Silvia let us sing, WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE. From "The Two Gentlemen of Verona." To Mistress Margaret Hussey Merry Margaret As midsummer flower Gentle as falcon, Or hawk of the tower; With solace and gladness, Much mirth and no madness, All good and no badness; So maidenly, So womanly Her demeaning,- Or suffice to write, Or hawk of the tower; Coliander, Sweet Pomander, Good Cassander; Steadfast of thought, Ere you can find So courteous, so kind, As merry Margaret, This midsummer flower Gentle as falcon Or hawk of the tower. A Garden of Girls JOHN SKELTON. |