Love
Testament
From A Lover’s Diary (1894)
Why do I love thee? Shall my answer run:
Because that thou hast beauty, noble place,
Because of some sweet glamour in thy face,
And eyes that shame the clear light of the sun?
Shall I exclaim upon thy snow-white hands,
Challenge the world to show a gentler mien,
Call down the seraphs to attest, the sheen
Upon thy brow is borrowed from their lands?
Shall I trace out a map of all thy worth,
Parcel thy virtues, say, “For this and this
I learned to love her; here new charms had birth;
I in this territory caught a bliss”?
Shall I make inventory of thy grace,
And crowd the total into common space?
Cite this poem
MLA
Parker, Gilbert. “Testament.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/parker_g/17/.
Chicago
Parker, Gilbert. “Testament.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/parker_g/17/.
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