Classic Poem

Once I saw, in pride of beauty

Once I saw, in pride of beauty,
Full unveiled, a golden flower;
Sweetest perfume flowed around it:
It was evening's winning hour.

I approached the splendid blossom,
Kissed its bosom, softly swelling;
But no odors breathed around it,
Though it seemed their chosen dwelling.

By this blossom bloomed unseen,
Low in shade, a milder flower;
Pale its cheek and wet its eye,
Bathed in evening's dewy shower.

O'er the lonely flower I hung, —
Thence the sweets that filled the air:
To that gentle flower I clung, —
Pale, yet seemed it more than fair.English