Poems (Rossetti, 1901)/The World
For works with similar titles, see The World.
THE WORLD.
SONNET.
BY day she woos me, soft, exceeding fair: But all night as the moon so changeth she; Loathsome and foul with hideous leprosyAnd subtle serpents gliding in her hair,By day she woos me to the outer air, Ripe fruits, sweet flowers, and full satiety:But through the night a beast she grins at me,A very monster void of love and prayer.By day she stands a lie: by night she stands In all the naked horror of the truthWith pushing horns and clawed and clutching hands.Is this a friend indeed; that I should sell My soul to her, give her my life and youth,Till my feet, cloven too, take hold on hell?