Living

Envoi (A Century of Roundels)

by Algernon Charles Swinburne 1837–1909

From A Century of Roundels (1883)

Living

Fly, white butterflies, out to sea,
Frail pale wings for the winds to try,
Small white wings that we scarce can see
Fly.

Here and there may a chance-caught eye
Note in a score of you twain or three
Brighter or darker of tinge or dye.

Some fly light as a laugh of glee,
Some fly soft as a low long sigh:
All to the haven where each would be
Fly.

MLA

Swinburne, Algernon Charles. “Envoi (A Century of Roundels).” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/swinburne/679/.

Chicago

Swinburne, Algernon Charles. “Envoi (A Century of Roundels).” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/swinburne/679/.

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