Arts & Sciences
Extemporaneous Lines on a Portrait of Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, Painted by Kneller
From Miscellanies
The playful smiles around the dimpled mouth,
That happy air of majesty and truth,
So would I draw: but, oh! 'tis vain to try,
My narrow genius does the power deny;
The equal lustre of the heavenly mind,
Where every grace with every virtue's join'd:
Learning not vain, and wisdom not severe,
With greatness easy, and with wit sincere;
With just description show the soul divine,
And the whole princess in my work should shine.
Cite this poem
MLA
Pope, Alexander. “Extemporaneous Lines on a Portrait of Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, Painted by Kneller.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/pope/93/.
Chicago
Pope, Alexander. “Extemporaneous Lines on a Portrait of Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, Painted by Kneller.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/pope/93/.
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