Dante Gabriel Rossetti

Here you will find the Poem Chimes of poet Dante Gabriel Rossetti

Chimes

I.

HONEY-FLOWERS to the honey-comb, 
And the honey-bee's from home.
A honey-comb and a honey-flower, 
And the bee shall have his hour.
A honeyed heart for the honey-comb, 
And the humming bee flies home.
A heavy heart in the honey-flower, 
And the bee has had his hour.


II.

A honey-cell's in the honeysuckle, 
And the honey-bee knows it well.
The honey-comb has a heart of honey, 
And the humming bee's so bonny.
A honey-flower's the honeysuckle, 
And the bee's in the honey-bell.
The honeysuckle is sucked of honey, 
And the bee is heavy and bonny.


III.

Brown shell first for the butterfly, 
And a bright wing by and by.
Butterfly, good-bye to your shell, 
And, bright wings, speed you well.
Bright lamplight for the butterfly 
And a burnt wing by and by.
Butterfly, alas for your shell, 
And, bright wings, fare you well.


IV.

Lost love-labour and lullaby, 
And lowly let love lie.
Lost love-morrow and love fellow 
And love's life lying low.
Lovelorn labour and life laid by, 
And lowly let love lie.
Late love-longing and life-sorrow 
And love's life lying low.

V.

Beauty's body and benison 
With a bosom-flower new-blown.
Bitter beauty and blessing bann'd 
With a breast to burn and brand.
Beauty's bower in the dust o'erblown 
With a bare white breast of bone.
Barren beauty and bower of sand 
With a blast on either hand.


VI.

Buried bars in the breakwater 
And bubble of the brimming weir.
Body's blood in the breakwater 
And a buried body's bier.
Buried bones in the breakwater 
And bubble of the brawling weir.
Bitter tears in the breakwater 
And a breaking heart to bear.


VII.

Hollow heaven and the hurricane 
And hurry of the heavy rain.
Hurried clouds in the hollow heaven 
And a heavy rain hard-driven.
The heavy rain it hurries amain 
And heaven and the hurricane.
Hurrying wind o'er the heaven's hollow 
And the heavy rain to follow.