Men and Women (Browning)/Volume 1/A Pretty Woman
A PRETTY WOMAN.
1. That fawn-skin-dappled hair of hers, And the blue eye Dear and dewy, And that infantine fresh air of hers!
2. To think men cannot take you, Sweet, And enfold you, Ay, and hold you, And so keep you what they make you, Sweet!
3.You like us for a glance, you know—For a word's sake,Or a sword's sake,All's the same, whate'er the chance, you know.
4.And in turn we make you ours, we say—You and youth too,Eyes and mouth too,All the face composed of flowers, we say.
5.All's our own, to make the most of, Sweet—Sing and say for,Watch and pray for,Keep a secret or go boast of, Sweet.
6.But for loving, why, you would not, Sweet,Though we prayed you,Paid you, brayed youIn a mortar—for you could not, Sweet.
7.So, we leave the sweet face fondly there—Be its beautyIts sole duty!Let all hope of grace beyond, lie there!
8.And while the face lies quiet there,Who shall wonderThat I ponderA conclusion? I will try it there.
9.As,—why must one, for the love forgone,Scout mere liking?Thunder-strikingEarth,—the heaven, we looked above for, gone!
10.Why with beauty, needs there money be—Love with liking?Crush the fly-kingIn his gauze, because no honey bee?
11.May not liking be so simple-sweet,If love grew there'Twould undo thereAll that breaks the cheek to dimples sweet?
12.Is the creature too imperfect, say?Would you mend itAnd so end it?Since not all addition perfects aye!
13.Or is it of its kind, perhaps,Just perfection—Whence, rejectionOf a grace not to its mind, perhaps?
14.Shall we burn up, tread that face at onceInto tinder,And so hinderSparks from kindling all the place at once?
15.Or else kiss away one's soul on her?Your love-fancies!—A sick man seesTruer, when his hot eyes roll on her!
16.Thus the craftsman thinks to grace the rose,—Plucks a mould-flowerFor his gold flower,Uses fine things that efface the rose.
17.Rosy rubies make its cup more rose,Precious metalsApe the petals,—Last, some old king locks it up, morose!
18.Then, how grace a rose? I know a way!Leave it rather.Must you gather?Smell, kiss, wear it—at last, throw away!