A Frisky Lamb
July 5, 2023Sonnet XLVII: To Fancy
July 5, 2023Sonnet XXXIV: Charm’d by Thy Suffrage
Charm’d by thy suffrage, shall I yet aspire
(All inauspicious as my fate appears,
By troubles darken’d, that encrease with years,)
To guide the crayon, or to touch the lyre?
Ah me!—the sister Muses still require
A spirit free from all intrusive fears,
Nor will they deign to wipe away the tears
Of vain regret, that dim their sacred fire.
But when thy envied sanction crowns my lays,
A ray of pleasure lights my languid mind,
For well I know the value of thy praise;
And to how few, the flattering meed confin’d,
That thou,—their highly favour’d brows to bind,
Wilt weave green myrtle, and unfading bays!
Charlotte Smith
Charlotte Smith (1749-1806) was an English Romantic poet and novelist. She is best known for her poetry, which often explored themes of nature, the beauty of the English countryside, and the plight of women in society. She is considered an important early feminist writer.