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Quotes from The Defence of Guenevere, and Other Poems — William Morris

1834–1896 England

← All quotes by William Morris

15 quotes

Pray but one prayer for me 'twixt thy closed lips,
Think but one thought of me up in the stars.

The Defence of Guenevere, and Other Poems (1858)

Speak but one word to me over the corn,
Over the tender, bow'd locks of the corn.

The Defence of Guenevere, and Other Poems (1858)

And ever she sung from noon to noon,
Two red roses across the moon.

The Defence of Guenevere, and Other Poems (1858)

They hammer'd out my basnet point
Into a round salade.

The Defence of Guenevere, and Other Poems (1858)

My lady seems of ivory
Forehead, straight nose, and cheeks that be
Hollow'd a little mournfully.
Beata mea Domina!

The Defence of Guenevere, and Other Poems (1858)

It is the longest night in all the year,
Near on the day when the Lord Christ was born;
Six hours ago I came and sat down here,
And ponder'd sadly, wearied and forlorn.

The Defence of Guenevere, and Other Poems (1858)

Across the empty garden-beds,
When the Sword went out to sea.

The Defence of Guenevere, and Other Poems (1858)

O servant of the high God, Galahad!

The Defence of Guenevere, and Other Poems (1858)

Came Launcelot walking; this is true, the kiss
Wherewith we kissed in meeting that spring day,
I scarce dare talk of the remember'd bliss.

The Defence of Guenevere, and Other Poems (1858)

"You must be very old, Sir Giles,"
I said; he said: "Yea, very old:"
Whereat the mournfullest of smiles
Creased his dry skin with many a fold.

The Defence of Guenevere, and Other Poems (1858)

He did not die in the night,
He did not die in the day.
But in the morning twilight
His spirit pass'd away.

The Defence of Guenevere, and Other Poems (1858)

Wind! wind! thou art sad, art thou kind?
Wind, wind, unhappy! thou art blind,
Yet still thou wanderest the lily-seed to find.

The Defence of Guenevere, and Other Poems (1858)

One of these cloths is heaven, and one is hell,
Now choose one cloth for ever; which they be,
I will not tell you, you must somehow tell
Of your own strength and mightiness.

The Defence of Guenevere, and Other Poems (1858)

Had she come all the way for this,
To part at last without a kiss?
Yea, had she borne the dirt and rain
That her own eyes might see him slain
Beside the haystack in the floods?

The Defence of Guenevere, and Other Poems (1858)

And one of these strange choosing cloths was blue,
Wavy and long, and one cut short and red;
No man could tell the better of the two.
After a shivering half-hour you said:
'God help! heaven's colour, the blue;' and he said, 'hell.'
Perhaps you then would roll upon your bed,
And cry to all good men that loved you well,
'Ah Christ! if only I had known, known, known.'

The Defence of Guenevere, and Other Poems (1858)

Attribution

Quotes and notes from Wikiquote: William Morris (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0.