Classic Poem

1

Love is a secret;
Like a bird in a shell;
Like a rose ere it blossom,—
All unseen will it dwell.

2

'Tis the kernel of fruits,
The germ of all flowers,
The blaze of the diamond,
The moment of hours.

3

'Tis the star in night's darkness,
The sky in the river,
The soul in mans bosom,—
That wears it for ever.

4

'Tis a word and the dearest,—
Each language has shown;
'Tis a thought the sincerest,
Any tongue has made known.—

5

'Tis a flower in a basket,—
All bloom and perfuming:
'Tis the gem of the casket,
Love, beauty, and woman.