English poetry

PoetsBiographiesPoems by ThemesRandom Poem
The Rating of PoetsThe Rating of Poems

Poem by Christina Georgina Rossetti


* * *


            Poca favilla gran fiamma seconda. – Dante
           
            Ogni altra cosa, ogni pensier va fore,
            E sol ivi con voi rimansi amore. – Petrarca

I loved you first: but afterwards your love
Outsoaring mine, sang such a loftier song
As drowned the friendly cooings of my dove.
Which owes the other most? my love was long,
And yours one moment seemed to wax more strong;
I loved and guessed at you, you construed me
And loved me for what might or might not be –
Nay, weights and measures do us both a wrong.
For verily love knows not ‘mine’ or ‘thine;’
With separate ‘I’ and ‘thou’ free love has done,
For one is both and both are one in love:
Rich love knows nought of ‘thine that is not mine;’
Both have the strength and both the length thereof,
Both of us, of the love which makes us one.



Christina Georgina Rossetti

Poem Theme: Love

Christina Georgina Rossetti's other poems:
  1. Lady Maggie
  2. There's Snow On The Fields
  3. Rosy Maiden Winifred
  4. The Convent Threshold
  5. A Summer Wish


Poem to print Print

1835 Views



Last Poems


To Russian version


Ðåéòèíã@Mail.ru

English Poetry. E-mail eng-poetry.ru@yandex.ru