by George Meredith (1828 - 1909)
When I would image her features
Language: English
When I would image her features, Comes up a shrouded head: I touch the outlines, shrinking; She seems of the wandering dead. But when love asks for nothing, And lies on his bed of snow, The face slips under my eyelids, All in its living glow. Like a dark cathedral city, Whose spires, and domes, and towers Quiver in violet lightnings, My soul basks on for hours.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by George Meredith (1828 - 1909), "When I would image", appears in Modern Love, first published 1862 [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 David Vaughan Thomas (1873 - 1934), "When I would image her features", 1922 [voice and piano], from Five Meredith Songs [text not verified]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2009-01-13
Line count: 12
Word count: 67