To my Beloved Vesta

To my Beloved Vesta

Original Text
Wit and Humour (Poems from "Punch") (London: Bradbury, Agnew, 1875): 283-84. Cambridge University Library XXVII.80.31
1Miss, I'm a Pensive Protoplasm,
2Born in some pre-historic chasm.
3I, and my humble fellow-men
4Are hydrogen, and oxygen,
5And nitrogen, and carbon too,
6And so is Jane, and so are you.
7In stagnant water swarm our brothers
8And sisters, but we've many others,
9Among them animalculae,
10And lizard's eggs -- and so, you see,
11My darking Vesta, show no pride,
12Nor turn coquettish head aside,
13Our pedigrees, as thus made out,
14Are no great things to boast about.
15The only comfort seems to be
16In this -- philosophers agree
17That how a Protoplasm's made
18Is mystery outside their trade.
19And we are parts, so say the sages,
20Of life come down from Long Past Ages.
21So let us haste in Hymen's bands
22To join our protoplastic hands,
23And spend our gay organic life
24As happy man and happy wife.
Publication Start Year
1869
RPO poem Editors
Ian Lancashire
RPO Edition
2002
Rhyme