poems about love

Was ever yet the world so fair!
The long, sweet day! the tender night!
A fragrant thrill pervades the air—
Spring's ever newly waked delight.

It floods the azure realm above;
It quickens all the sod below;
It is the very soul of Love,
And song and bloom its overflow.

No living thing unconscious named
But knows the depth of this delight,
And filled with joy and unashamed
Leaves joy to fashion joy aright.

The bluebird's note is all his own;
The thrush one matchless song repeats;

H ELEN , by many loved, and loving not,
Helen, whose smiles are ever cold and sweet,
Art thou an ancient queen whom Time forgot,
And Death paused not to greet?
Helen, perchance thy perfect beauty came,
An heritage to make the world more fair,
From one who lived in Troy, and bore thy name,
And had such red-gold hair.

Thine eyes are like deep sea-water at night,
Thy mouth is as a flower that fears the sun,—
Burned pale once long ago by too great light,
Its singing all is done.

We saw and woo'd each other's eyes,
My soul contracted then with thine,
And both burnt in one sacrifice
By which our marriage grew divine.

Let wilder youths, whose soul is sense,
Profane the temple of delight,
And purchase endless penitence
With the stolen pleasure of one night.

Time's ever ours, while we despise
The sensual idol of our clay,
For though the sun do set and rise
We joy one everlasting day.

Whose light no jealous clouds obscure,
While each of us shines innocent.

Who gives a gift to bind a friend thereby,
Doth set or put his gift to usury:
And he that gives a gift that is not free,
Give where he list, so that he give not me.
For bought and sold is friendship strange,
Who lives by selling, lives by change;
And he, that loves to change his friend,
Will turn to nothing in the end.

Yes! hope may with my strong desire keep pace,
And I be undeluded, unbetrayed;
For if of our affections none finds grace
In sight of Heaven, then, wherefore hath God made
The world which we inhabit? Better plea
Love cannot have, than that in loving thee
Glory to that eternal Peace is paid,
Who such divinity to thee imparts
As hallows and makes pure all gentle hearts.

His hope is treacherous only whose love dies
With beauty, which is varying every hour;
But, in chaste hearts uninfluenced by the power

I give more praise to Troy's redoubt
For Love kept in, than War kept out.

O Treasure-house of mercy, Thou art the one true friend.
O Lord, who else but thou can love for loving's sake alone.
Looking for no reward Thou fillest lives with every good.
Thou givest life and protection by night and day: Thou teachest the manners and ways of happiness.
In father, mother, and the friends of this world, what help is there in them?
Even my own body, when strength fails me, is powerless to aid.
Thou in death and life art the sole companion. Thy Form is love and holiness.

A WAKE ! the dawn is on the hills!
—Behold, at her cool throat a rose,
—Blue-eyed and beautiful she goes,
Leaving her steps in daffodils.—
Awake! arise! and let me see
—Thine eyes, whose deeps epitomize
All dawns that were or are to be,
—O love, all Heaven in thine eyes!—
Awake! arise! come down to me!

Behold! the dawn is up: behold!
—How all the birds around her float,
—Wild rills of music, note on note,
Spilling the air with mellow gold.—
Arise! awake! and, drawing near,
—Let me but hear thee and rejoice!

Within these circling Hollies Woodbine-clad
Beneath this small blue Roof of vernal Sky
How warm, how still! tho' Tears should dim mine eye,
Yet will my Heart for days continue glad--
For here, my Love! thou art! and here am I!

't is said—but whether true or not
Let bards declare who 've seen 'em—
That Love and Time have only got
One pair of wings between 'em.
In courtship's first delicious hour,
The boy full oft can spare 'em;
So, loitering in his lady's bower,
He lets the gray-beard wear 'em.
Then is Time's hour of play;
Oh, how he flies, flies away!

But short the moments, short as bright,
When he the wings can borrow;
If Time to-day has had his flight,
Love takes his turn to-morrow.
Ah! Time and Love, your change is then