A Birthday Poem by Christina Georgina Rossetti

A Birthday

Rating: 3.0


My heart is like a singing bird
Whose nest is in a water'd shoot;
My heart is like an apple-tree
Whose boughs are bent with thickset fruit;
My heart is like a rainbow shell
That paddles in a halcyon sea;
My heart is gladder than all these
Because my love is come to me.

Raise me a dais of silk and down;
Hang it with vair and purple dyes;
Carve it in doves and pomegranates,
And peacocks with a hundred eyes;
Work it in gold and silver grapes,
In leaves and silver fleurs-de-lys;
Because the birthday of my life
Is come, my love is come to me.

COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Cynthia Buhain-baello 07 July 2009

So eloquent and beautiful, like the songs of the sea, halcyon and placid.

25 6 Reply
Emily Oldham 21 June 2009

I don't know what all of it means- what's a halycon sea? - but it paints a picture in my mind anyway, no matter how inaccurate. Beautiful imagery. Another of my favourite.

21 7 Reply
kim, jung-eun 18 February 2021

halycon means calm^^

5 0
Gangadharan Nair Pulingat 24 December 2014

Love to one's own birthday expressed in the poem and it is good.

9 5 Reply
Alisha Castle 10 February 2016

Nice similarities of heart with various natural objects, it's a nice poetry work by by one of my favorite author.

9 3 Reply
Freni Karaluthara 15 December 2023

Your words make us feel the happiness and joy of being in love. Thank you for writing such a lovely poem that makes us understand and feel the beauty of love.

0 0 Reply
Freni Karaluthara 15 December 2023

These comparisons make us imagine the happiness of having someone we love.

0 0 Reply
Freni Karaluthara 15 December 2023

Dear Christina Georgina Rossetti, Your poem 'A Birthday' is like a beautiful picture that talks about feeling very happy because of love. You describe the heart as a singing bird, a tree full of fruit, and a colorful shell in the sea.

0 0 Reply
Savita Tyagi 15 December 2023

So beautiful and full of joy.

0 0 Reply
Sylvia Frances Chan 15 December 2023

Congratulations as The Classic Poem Of The Day! Most deserving!

0 0 Reply
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