What Is Flirtation?
Ella Wheeler Wilcox 1855 (Janesville) – 1919
What is flirtation? Really,
How can I tell you that?
But when she smiles I see its wiles,
And when he lifts his hat.
'Tis walking in the moonlight,
'Tis buttoning on a glove,
'Tis lips that speak of plays next week,
While eyes are talking love.
Tis meeting in the ball-room,
'Tis whirling in the dance;
'Tis something hid beneath the lid,
More than a simple glance.
'Tis lingering in the hallway,
'Tis sitting on the stair,
'Tis bearded lips on finger-tips,
If mamma isn't there.
'Tis tucking in the carriage,
'Tis asking for a call;
'Tis long good-nights in tender lights,
And that is-no, not all!
'Tis parting when it's over,
And one goes home to sleep;
Best joys must end, tra la, my friend,
But one goes home to weep!
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 41 sec read
- 91 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | XAXA XBXB XCXC XDXD XEXE XFXF |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic trimeter |
Characters | 706 |
Words | 135 |
Stanzas | 6 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4 |
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"What Is Flirtation?" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 13 Jun 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/10988/what-is-flirtation?>.
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