by Edna St. Vincent Millay (1892 - 1950)
Not in a silver casket cool with pearls Matches base text
Language: English
Not in a silver casket cool with pearls Or rich with red corundum or with blue, Locked, and the key withheld, as other girls Have given their loves, I give my love to you; Not in a lovers'-knot, not in a ring Worked in such fashion, and the legend plain -- Semper fidelis, where a secret spring Kennels a drop of mischief for the brain: Love in the open hand, no thing but that, Ungemmed, unhidden, wishing not to hurt, As one should bring you cowslips in a hat Swung from the hand, or apples in her skirt, I bring you, calling out as children do: "Look what I have! -- And these are all for you."
Composition:
- Set to music by Jake Heggie (b. 1961), "Not in a silver casket cool with pearls", 1999, first performed 1999 [ soprano and piano ], from Songs and Sonnets to Ophelia, no. 3
Text Authorship:
- by Edna St. Vincent Millay (1892 - 1950)
See other settings of this text.
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2009-04-30
Line count: 14
Word count: 115