Bliss Carman, et al., eds. The World’s Best Poetry. 1904.
Poems of Sentiment: II. LifeThe Family Skeleton
George Meredith (18281909)From “Modern Love”
A
Went the feast ever cheerfuller? She keeps
The topic over intellectual deeps
In buoyancy afloat. They see no ghost.
With sparkling surface-eyes we ply the ball:
It is in truth a most contagious game;
H
Such play as this the devils might appall!
But here ’s the greater wonder; in that we,
Enamored of our acting and our wits,
Admire each other like true hypocrites.
Warm-lighted glances, Love’s Ephemeræ,
Shoot gayly o’er the dishes and the wine.
We waken envy of our happy lot.
Fast, sweet, and golden, shows our marriage-knot.
Dear guests, you now have seen Love’s corpse-light shine!