Maud; A Monodrama (from Part I)

Maud; A Monodrama (from Part I)

Original Text
Alfred Lord Tennyson, Maud, and other poems (London: E. Moxon, 1855). PR 5567 A1 1855 ROBA. Alfred lord Tennyson, Works (London: Macmillan, 1891). tenn T366 A1 1891a Fisher Rare Book Library (Toronto).
1.850  Come into the garden, Maud,
1.851    For the black bat, night, has flown,
1.852Come into the garden, Maud,
1.853    I am here at the gate alone;
1.854And the woodbine spices are wafted abroad,
1.855    And the musk of the rose is blown.
1.856  For a breeze of morning moves,
1.857    And the planet of Love is on high,
1.858Beginning to faint in the light that she loves
1.859    In a bed of daffodil sky,
1.860To faint in the light of the sun she loves,
1.861    To faint in his light, and to die.
1.862  All night have the roses heard
1.863    The flute, violin, bassoon;
1.864All night has the casement jessamine stirr'd
1.865    To the dancers dancing in tune;
1.866Till a silence fell with the waking bird,
1.867    And a hush with the setting moon.
1.868  I said to the lily, "There is but one
1.869    With whom she has heart to be gay.
1.870When will the dancers leave her alone?
1.871    She is weary of dance and play."
1.872Now half to the setting moon are gone,
1.873    And half to the rising day;
1.874Low on the sand and loud on the stone
1.875    The last wheel echoes away.
1.876  I said to the rose, "The brief night goes
1.877    In babble and revel and wine.
1.878O young lord-lover, what sighs are those,
1.879    For one that will never be thine?
1.880But mine, but mine," so I sware to the rose,
1.881    "For ever and ever, mine."
1.882  And the soul of the rose went into my blood,
1.883    As the music clash'd in the hall;
1.884And long by the garden lake I stood,
1.885    For I heard your rivulet fall
1.886From the lake to the meadow and on to the wood,
1.887    Our wood, that is dearer than all;
1.888  From the meadow your walks have left so sweet
1.889    That whenever a March-wind sighs
1.890He sets the jewel-print of your feet
1.891    In violets blue as your eyes,
1.892To the woody hollows in which we meet
1.893    And the valleys of Paradise.
1.894  The slender acacia would not shake
1.895    One long milk-bloom on the tree;
1.896The white lake-blossom fell into the lake
1.897    As the pimpernel dozed on the lea;
1.898But the rose was awake all night for your sake,
1.899    Knowing your promise to me;
1.900The lilies and roses were all awake,
1.901    They sigh'd for the dawn and thee.
1.902  Queen rose of the rosebud garden of girls,
1.903    Come hither, the dances are done,
1.904In gloss of satin and glimmer of pearls,
1.905    Queen lily and rose in one;
1.906Shine out, little head, sunning over with curls,
1.907    To the flowers, and be their sun.
1.908  There has fallen a splendid tear
1.909    From the passion-flower at the gate.
1.910She is coming, my dove, my dear;
1.911    She is coming, my life, my fate;
1.912The red rose cries, "She is near, she is near;"
1.913    And the white rose weeps, "She is late;"
1.914The larkspur listens, "I hear, I hear;"
1.915    And the lily whispers, "I wait."
1.916  She is coming, my own, my sweet;
1.917    Were it ever so airy a tread,
1.918My heart would hear her and beat,
1.919    Were it earth in an earthy bed;
1.920My dust would hear her and beat,
1.921    Had I lain for a century dead,
1.922Would start and tremble under her feet,
1.923    And blossom in purple and red.
Publication Start Year
1855
RPO poem Editors
J. D. Robins
RPO Edition
2RP 2.402.
Rhyme