Arthur Quiller-Couch, ed. 1919. The Oxford Book of English Verse: 1250–1900.
Christina Georgina Rossetti. 18301894782. Twice
I TOOK my heart in my hand | |
(O my love, O my love), | |
I said: Let me fall or stand, | |
Let me live or die, | |
But this once hear me speak | 5 |
(O my love, O my love)— | |
Yet a woman’s words are weak; | |
You should speak, not I. | |
You took my heart in your hand | |
With a friendly smile, | 10 |
With a critical eye you scann’d, | |
Then set it down, | |
And said, ‘It is still unripe, | |
Better wait awhile; | |
Wait while the skylarks pipe, | 15 |
Till the corn grows brown.’ | |
As you set it down it broke— | |
Broke, but I did not wince; | |
I smiled at the speech you spoke, | |
At your judgement I heard: | 20 |
But I have not often smiled | |
Since then, nor question’d since, | |
Nor cared for cornflowers wild, | |
Nor sung with the singing bird. | |
I take my heart in my hand, | 25 |
O my God, O my God, | |
My broken heart in my hand: | |
Thou hast seen, judge Thou. | |
My hope was written on sand, | |
O my God, O my God: | 30 |
Now let thy judgement stand— | |
Yea, judge me now. | |
This contemn’d of a man, | |
This marr’d one heedless day, | |
This heart take thou to scan | 35 |
Both within and without: | |
Refine with fire its gold, | |
Purge Thou its dross away— | |
Yea, hold it in Thy hold, | |
Whence none can pluck it out. | 40 |
I take my heart in my hand— | |
I shall not die, but live— | |
Before Thy face I stand; | |
I, for Thou callest such: | |
All that I have I bring, | 45 |
All that I am I give, | |
Smile Thou and I shall sing, | |
But shall not question much. |