Classic Poem

THE PLAZZA

Let me stand here where first I saw of old
This triple wonder, — the supreme surprise,
However often it may greet the eyes
Of sated travelers; see the sunlit gold
Beneath the encrusted arches like a mould
Of dashing waves; fancy the gray domes rise
From their poised flight, but to less heavenly skies, —
All lovelier than all poets ever told.

How feminine she is, this Orient Queen! —
Trailing her skirts of marbled lace along
Beside the Piazzetta, while the Tower,
Like Strength defending Beauty, stands serene.
'Tis the world's dream, this dream of Joy and Power,
Caught in the permanence of Art and Song.