by Louis Untermeyer (1885 - 1977)
With a Volume of Heine
Language: English
Like some young flower, cool and white With the stars' kiss still on its brow, You shine through my heart's dusk, and light The dark concern that gathers now. Half on my lips, a fearful hope Starts like a prayer, already planned. Toward your bright head my fingers grope... But something holds my hand. Prayers are not what you want. I see That, when all other beauty fails, You will not alter, you will be So white and young -- and hard as nails.
First published in The Dial, volume 68, 1920
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
Authorship:
- by Louis Untermeyer (1885 - 1977), "With a Volume of Heine" [author's text not yet checked 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 Gary Bachlund (b. 1947), "With a Volume of Heine", 2008 [high voice and piano], from Two Poems of Louis Untermeyer, no. 1 [ sung text checked 1 time]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2009-03-06
Line count: 12
Word count: 83