The House of Life A SonnetSequence Author:William Michael Rossetti General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1898 Original Publisher: Ellis and Elvey Subjects: Fiction / Classics Literary Collections / General Literary Criticism / General Literary Criticism / European / English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh Literary Criticism / Poetry Poetry / General Poetry / American / Gen... more »eral Poetry / English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. Excerpt: Sonnet II BRIDAL BIRTH As when desire, long darkling, dawns, and first The mother looks upon the newborn child, Even so my Lady stood at gaze and smiled When her soul knew at length the Love it nurs'd. Born with her life, creature of poignant thirst And exquisite hunger, at her heart Love lay Quickening in darkness, till a voice that day Cried on him, and the bonds of birth were burst. Now, shadowed by his wings, our faces yearn Together, as his full-grown feet now range The grove, and his warm hands our couch prepare Till to his song our bodiless souls in turn Be born his children, when Death's nuptial change Leaves us for light the halo of his hair. chapter{Section 4 Sonnet III LOVE'S TESTAMENT O Thou who at Love's hour ecstatically Unto my heart dost evermore present, Clothed with his fire, thy heart his testament; Whom I have neared and felt thy breath to be The inmost incense of his sanctuary ; Who without speech hast owned him, and, intent Upon his will, thy life with mine hast blent, And murmured, " I am thine, thou'rt one with me !" O what from thee the grace, to me the prize, And what to Love the glory, when the whole Of the deep stair thou tread'st to the dim shoal And weary water of the place of sighs, And there dost work deliverance, as thin...« less