A Portrait Poem by Christina Georgina Rossetti

A Portrait

Rating: 2.9


I

She gave up beauty in her tender youth,
Gave all her hope and joy and pleasant ways;
She covered up her eyes lest they should gaze
On vanity, and chose the bitter truth.
Harsh towards herself, towards others full of ruth,
Servant of servants, little known to praise,
Long prayers and fasts trenched on her nights and days:
She schooled herself to sights and sounds uncouth
That with the poor and stricken she might make
A home, until the least of all sufficed
Her wants; her own self learned she to forsake,
Counting all earthly gain but hurt and loss.
So with calm will she chose and bore the cross
And hated all for love of Jesus Christ.

II

They knelt in silent anguish by her bed,
And could not weep; but calmly there she lay.
All pain had left her; and the sun's last ray
Shone through upon her, warming into red
The shady curtains. In her heart she said:
'Heaven opens; I leave these and go away;
The Bridegroom calls,—shall the Bride seek to stay?'
Then low upon her breast she bowed her head.
O lily flower, O gem of priceless worth,
O dove with patient voice and patient eyes,
O fruitful vine amid a land of dearth,
O maid replete with loving purities,
Thou bowedst down thy head with friends on earth
To raise it with the saints in Paradise.

COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Khairul Ahsan 27 November 2020

Such a divine portrait drawn with solemn words! 'Heaven opens; I leave these and go away; The Bridegroom calls, —shall the Bride seek to stay? ' - loved these two lines particularly. Glad to see this poem adorned with the honor of the 'Poem of the Day'!

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Edward Kofi Louis 27 November 2020

" Harsh towards herself" ! Thanks for sharing this poem with us.

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Ratnakar Mandlik 27 November 2020

Marvelous portrait of a saintly character that has renounced worldly joys and embraced the eternal values. A great classic poem.

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Thou bowedst down thy head with friends on earth To raise it with the saints in Paradise. Excellent

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Mahtab Bangalee 27 November 2020

O lily flower, O gem of priceless worth, O dove with patient voice and patient eyes, O fruitful vine amid a land of dearth, O maid replete with loving purities, ...../// excellent poetic writings; beautiful to read as if I am in that portrait

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