Living
On Being Asked to Write in Miss Westwood's Album
From The Works of Charles and Mary Lamb, IV: Poems and Plays, ed. E. V. Lucas
My feeble Muse, that fain her best wou'd
Write, at command of Frances Westwood,
But feels her wits not in their best mood,
Fell lately on some idle fancies,
As she's much given to romances,
About this self-same style as Frances;
Which seems to be a name in common
Attributed to man or woman.
She thence contrived this flattering moral,
With which she hopes no soul will quarrel,
That she, whom this twin title decks,
Combines what's good in either sex;
Unites--how very rare the case is!--
Masculine sense to female graces;
And, quitting not her proper rank,
Is both in one--Fanny, and frank.
Cite this poem
MLA
Lamb, Charles. “On Being Asked to Write in Miss Westwood's Album.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/lamb/124/.
Chicago
Lamb, Charles. “On Being Asked to Write in Miss Westwood's Album.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/lamb/124/.
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