📖 Sher Afzul 👤 Nicolson, Violet (1865—1904) This was the tale Sher Afzul told to me, While the spent camels bubbled on their knees, And ruddy camp-fires twinkled through the gloom Sweet with the fragrance from the Sinjib trees. I had a friend who lay, condemned to death

📖 SECLUSION 👤 Stoddard, John Lawson (1850—1931) Shut out the World, shut in the Home! The sea is deeper than its foam; Retain the gem, reject the paste; Withdraw from Mammon's feverish haste, Its tumult and its senseless waste. Within are love, and books, and flowers,—

📖 TO ONE IN SUCCESS 👤 Earls, Michael (1875—1937) A world's new faces greet you, Ten thousand quick with praise, But truer stay to meet you Old friends and other days: Let fickle changes hurt you, ( The new go quick apart ) One fame shall ne'er desert you In true hearts like this heart.

📖 “I ROSE UP AS MY CUSTOM IS” 👤 Hardy, Thomas (1840—1928) I rose up as my custom is On the eve of All-Souls’ day, And left my grave for an hour or so To call on those I used to know Before I passed away. I visited my former Love As she lay by her husband's side;

📖 SONG. 👤 Moore, Thomas (1779—1852) As Love one summer eve was straying, Who should he see at that soft hour But young Minerva gravely playing Her flute within an olive bower. I need not say,‘ tis Love's opinion That grave or merry, good or ill, The sex all bow to his dominion,

📖 SONNET WITH THE COMPLIMENTS OF THE SEASON 👤 Chesterton, Gilbert Keith (1874—1936) I know you. You will hail the huge release, Saying the sheathing of a thousand swords, In silence and injustice, well accords With Christmas bells. And you will gild with grease

📖 THE SONG OF THE BOW 👤 Doyle, Arthur Conan (1859—1930) What of the bow? The bow was made in England: Of true wood, of yew-wood, The wood of English bows; So men who are free Love the old yew-tree And the land where the yew-tree grows. What of the cord? The cord was made in England:

📖 When Dacey Rode the Mule 👤 Paterson, Andrew Barton (1864—1941) ‘ Twas to a small, up-country town, When we were boys at school, There came a circus with a clown, Likewise a bucking mule. The clown announced a scheme they had Spectators for to bring — They'd give a crown to any lad

📖 WIVES IN THE SERE 👤 Hardy, Thomas (1840—1928) Never a careworn wife but shows, If a joy suffuse her, Something beautiful to those Patient to peruse her, Some one charm the world unknows Precious to a muser, Haply what, ere years were foes, Moved her mate to choose her.

📖 Dinner-Time 👤 Guest, Edgar Albert (1881—1959) Tuggin’ at your bottle, An’ it's O, you're mighty sweet! Just a bunch of dimples From your top-knot to your feet, Lying there an’ gooin’ In the happiest sort o’ way, Like a rosebud peekin’ at me In the early hours o’ day;

📖 THE WORLD OF DREAM 👤 De la Mare, Walter (1873—1956) Now, through the dusk With muffled bell The Dustman comes The World to tell, Night's elfin lanterns Burn and gleam In the twilight, wonderful World of Dream. Hollow and dim Sleep's boat doth ride, Heavily still At the waterside.

📖 VII 👤 Swinburne, Algernon Charles (1837—1909) In winter, when the year burns low As fire wherein no firebrands glow, And winds dishevel as they blow The lovely stormy wings of snow, The hearts of northern men burn bright With joy that mocks the joy of spring

📖 THE IRISH CABIN. 👤 Brontë, Patrick (1777—1861) Should poverty, modest and clean, E'er please, when presented to view, Should cabin on brown heath, or green, Disclose aught engaging to you, Should Erin's wild harp soothe the ear When touched by such fingers as mine,

📖 THE DAY'S RATION 👤 Emerson, Ralph Waldo (1803—1882) When I was born, From all the seas of strength Fate filled a chalice, Saying,‘ This be thy portion, child; this chalice, Less than a lily's, thou shalt daily draw From my great arteries,— nor less, nor more.’

📖 The Ballad of One-Eyed Mike 👤 Service, Robert William (1874—1958) A man once aimed that my life be shamed, and wrought me a deathly wrong; I vowed one day I would well repay, but the heft of his hate was strong. He thonged me East and he thonged me West; he harried me back and forth,

📖 SEMELE. 👤 Patmore, Coventry Kersey Dighton (1823—1896) No praise to me! My joy‘ twas to be nothing but the glass Thro’ which the general boon of Heaven should pass, To focus upon thee. Nor is't thy blame Thou first should'st glow, and, after, fade i’ the flame. It takes more might

📖 Mowing 👤 Frost, Robert (1874—1963) THERE was never a sound beside the wood but one, And that was my long scythe whispering to the ground. What was it it whispered? I knew not well myself; Perhaps it was something about the heat of the sun, Something, perhaps, about the lack of sound —

📖 MIDSUMMER NIGHT 👤 Masefield, John (1878—1967) The perfect disc of the sacred moon Through still blue heaven serenely swims, And the lone bird's liquid music brims The peace of the night with a perfect tune. This is that holiest night of the year

📖 THE HOUSE OF BEAUTY 👤 Sherman, Francis (1871—1926) She pauseth; and as each great mirror swings ( O ruined Helen, O once golden hair ) I see OEnone's ashes scattered there. Another, and, behold, the shadowed things Are violated tombs of shrunken kings.

📖 THE EGYPTIAN WAKES 👤 Rice, Cale Young (1872—1943) I woke at night in my eternal tomb The desert sands had hid a thousand years, And heard the Nile-crier across the gloom Calling, “The flood has come! beseech the gods!” I rose in haste, as one who blindly hears,

📖 The Unforgiven 👤 Robinson, Edwin Arlington (1869—1935) When he, who is the unforgiven, Beheld her first, he found her fair: No promise ever dreamt in heaven Could then have lured him anywhere That would have been away from there; And all his wits had lightly striven,

📖 POEMS 👤 Naidu, Sarojini (1879—1949) Deign, Prince, my tribute to receive, This lyric offering to your name, Who round your jewelled scepter bind The lilies of a poet's fame; Beneath whose sway concordant dwell The peoples whom your laws embrace, In brotherhood of diverse creeds,

📖 MONTEZUMA. 👤 Richmond, Hiram Hoyt (1900—1982) As mariner upon the rocky sea, Without a compass, helm, or heavenly hope, A part of Earth's great ancestry to be Upon the plains of Shinar; and they grope In nature's darkness; they have lost the way

📖 HOW THE LEAVES CAME DOWN. 👤 Woolsey,Sarah Chauncey (1835—1905) I'll tell you how the leaves came down. The great Tree to his children said, “You're getting sleepy, Yellow and Brown, Yes, very sleepy, little Red; It is quite time you went to bed.” “Ah!” begged each silly, pouting leaf,

📖 RUCKINGE CHURCH. 👤 Nesbit, Edith (1858—1924) The boat crept slowly through the water-weeds That greenly cover all the waterways, Between high banks where ranks of sedge and reeds Sigh one sad secret all their quiet days, Through grasses, water-mint and rushes green

📖 Trifles 👤 McNeill, John Charles (1874—1907) What shall I bring you, sweet? A posy prankt with every April hue: The cloud-white daisy, violet sky-blue, Shot with the primrose sunshine through and through? Or shall I bring you, sweet, Some ancient rhyme of lovers sore beset,

📖 THE PHANTOM KISS 👤 Dunbar, Paul Laurence (1872—1906) One night in my room, still and beamless, With will and with thought in eclipse, I rested in sleep that was dreamless; When softly there fell on my lips A touch, as of lips that were pressing Mine own with the message of bliss —

📖 LUSUS POLITICUS. 👤 Bierce, Ambrose (1842—1914) Come in, old gentleman. How do you do? Delighted, I'm sure, that you've called. I'm a sociable sort of a chap and you Are a pleasant-appearing person, too, With a head agreeably bald. That's right — sit down in the scuttle of coal

📖 ANAHUAC. 👤 Richmond, Hiram Hoyt (1900—1982) Another turn of fortune's fickle wheel. They journey to the South, and cast their lot Upon Mexitli's lovely plain; the heel Of other nations has forestalled the spot, And they must win their way through turbulence

📖 THE PLAY OF “KING LEAR” 👤 Watson, William (1858—1935) Here Love the slain with Love the slayer lies; Deep drown'd are both in the same sunless pool. Up from its depths that mirror thundering skies Bubbles the wan mirth of the mirthless Fool.