by Robert Browning (1812 - 1889)
Plot‑Culture
Language: English
Not with my Soul, Love ! bid no Soul like mine
Lap thee around nor leave the poor Sense room !
Soul, travel-worn, toil- weary, would confine
Along with Soul, Soul's gains from glow and gloom,
Captures from soarings high and divings deep.
Spoil-laden Soul, how should such memories sleep ?
Take Sense, too let me love entire and whole
Not with my Soul !
Eyes shall meet eyes and find no eyes between,
Lips feed on lips, no other lips to fear !
No past, no future so thine arms but screen
The present from surprise ! not there, 'tis here
Not then, 'tis now: back, memories that intrude !
Make, Love, the universe our solitude,
And, over all the rest, oblivion roll
Sense quenching Soul !
Text Authorship:
- by Robert Browning (1812 - 1889), "Plot-Culture", appears in Ferishtah's Fancies, no. 10, first published 1884 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Granville Ransome Bantock, Sir (1868 - 1946), "Plot-Culture", 1903, published 1905 [tenor and orchestra], from Lyrics from "Ferishtah's Fancies", no. 10. [text not verified]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2009-02-26
Line count: 16
Word count: 120