Love
Love Lies Bleeding
From A Century of Roundels (1883)
Love
Love lies bleeding in the bed whereover
Roses lean with smiling mouths or pleading:
Earth lies laughing where the sun’s dart clove her:
Love lies bleeding.
Stately shine his purple plumes, exceeding
Pride of princes: nor shall maid or lover
Find on earth a fairer sign worth heeding.
Yet may love, sore wounded scarce recover
Strength and spirit again, with life receding:
Hope and joy, wind-winged, about him hover:
Love lies bleeding.
Cite this poem
MLA
Swinburne, Algernon Charles. “Love Lies Bleeding.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/swinburne/657/.
Chicago
Swinburne, Algernon Charles. “Love Lies Bleeding.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/swinburne/657/.
Read this poem with the Codex →