To Robert Browning
July 6, 2023The Maid’s Lament
July 6, 2023The Three Roses
When the buds began to burst,
Long ago, with Rose the First
I was walking; joyous then
Far above all other men,
Till before us up there stood
Britonferry’s oaken wood,
Whispering, “Happy as thou art,
Happiness and thou must part.”
Many summers have gone by
Since a Second Rose and I
(Rose from the same stem) have told
This and other tales of old.
She upon her wedding day
Carried home my tenderest lay:
From her lap I now have heard
Gleeful, chirping, Rose the Third.
Not for her this hand of mine
Rhyme with nuptial wreath shall twine;
Cold and torpid it must lie,
Mute the tongue, and closed the eye.
Walter Savage Landor
Walter Savage Landor (1775-1864) was an English writer and poet who is best known for his poetry and his prose works. Landor's most famous works include "Imaginary Conversations" and "Gebir." Landor was also a friend of many of the leading literary figures of his time, including Samuel Taylor Coleridge and William Wordsworth.