To a Young Lady, on Her Birthday
Samuel Johnson 1709 (Lichfield) – 1784 (London)
This tributary verse receive, my fair,
Warm with an ardent lover's fondest prayer,
May this returning day for ever find
Thy form more lovely, more adorn'd thy mind;
All pains, all cares, may favouring heaven remove,
All but the sweet solicitudes of love!
May powerful nature join with grateful art,
To point each glance, and force it to the heart!
O then! when conquer'd crowds confess thy sway,
When even proud wealth and prouder wit obey,
My fair, be mindful of the mighty trust,
Alas! 'tis hard for beauty to be just.
Those sovereign charms with strictest care employ;
Nor give the generous pain, the worthless joy;
With his own form acquaint the forward fool,
Shown in the mimic glass of ridicule:
Teach mimic censure her own faults to find,
No more let coquettes to themselves be blind,
So shall Belinda's charms improve mankind.
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 45 sec read
- 54 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | AABBCDEEFFGGHHIIBBB |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 825 |
Words | 146 |
Stanzas | 1 |
Stanza Lengths | 19 |
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"To a Young Lady, on Her Birthday" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 12 Jun 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/34205/to-a-young-lady,-on-her-birthday>.
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