Bliss Carman, et al., eds. The World’s Best Poetry. 1904.
Poems of Sentiment: II. LifeThe One White Hair
Walter Savage Landor (17751864)T
Listen to pretty lies,
And love to hear them told;
Doubt not that Solomon
Listened to many a one,—
Some in his youth, and more when he grew old.
The choir of Wisdom’s song,
But pretty lies loved I
As much as any king,—
When youth was on the wing,
And (must it then be told?) when youth had quite gone by.
The pleasant hour forgot,
When one pert lady said,—
“O Landor! I am quite
Bewildered with affright;
I see (sit quiet now!) a white hair on your head!”
Drew out that hair of mine,
And in her own dark hair
Pretended she had found
That one, and twirled it round.—
Fair as she was, she never was so fair.