The heliotrope’s fragrant breath—
The subtle sweet of jasmine on the evening air—
The flowery mead, all radiant
With sympathetic pleasure
From the glowing kiss with which
The God of Day salutes its lovely face—
The whispering, snowy surf, wherewith
Old Ocean in his kindliest mood
Murmurs soft secrets to the willing sands—
The mingled joy and anguish thrilling us
In the weird plaints of Schubert—
Great Rossini’s heaven-born strains—
All graceful, lovely things,
Lifting my soul to beatific state—
Mnemosyne with flowery fetters
Binds to thee, my darling.
Public-domain source text
To Thee, My Darling
by Ambrose Bierce
Source record
This is a source transcription from Standard Ebooks, published in Past Poetry’s public-domain archive without line-by-line editorial notes. Public-domain source edition. Availability can vary by territory.
View the source edition →