| Edmund Clarence Stedman, ed. (1833–1908). A Victorian Anthology, 1837–1895. 1895. |
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| Love at Sea |
| | | Algernon Charles Swinburne (1837–1909) |
| | | | | Imitated from Théophile Gautier |
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| WE are in love’s land to-day; | |
| Where shall we go? | |
| Love, shall we start or stay, | |
| Or sail or row? | |
| There ’s many a wind and way, | 5 |
| And never a May but May; | |
| We are in love’s hand to-day; | |
| Where shall we go? | |
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| Our landwind is the breath | |
| Of sorrows kiss’d to death | 10 |
| And joys that were; | |
| Our ballast is a rose; | |
| Our way lies where God knows | |
| And love knows where. | |
| We are in love’s hand to-day— | 15 |
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| Our seamen are fledged Loves, | |
| Our masts are bills of doves, | |
| Our decks fine gold; | |
| Our ropes are dead maids’ hair, | |
| Our stores are love-shafts fair | 20 |
| And manifold. | |
| We are in love’s land to-day— | |
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| Where shall we land you, sweet? | |
| On fields of strange men’s feet, | |
| Or fields near home? | 25 |
| Or where the fire-flowers blow, | |
| Or where the flowers of snow | |
| Or flowers of foam? | |
| We are in love’s hand to-day— | |
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| Land me, she says, where love | 30 |
| Shows but one shaft, one dove, | |
| One heart, one hand,— | |
| A shore like that, my dear, | |
| Lies where no man will steer, | |
| No maiden land. | 35 |
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