Classic Poem

White flowers, white flowers to deck my lady fair!
Clematis for her hair,
A cluster of vale lilies for her bosom
With apple blossom;
Then out of open fields and grassy places
Pick her moon-daisies,
And make a wreath
With columbines and roses white as death:
Thus she will be
Smother'd in flower-foam, and live fragrantly.

Heap up a bank of white flowers for her feet;
Bring meadow-sweet,
Bring her azaleas finer than spun silk,
Tuberose like frozen milk,
And bloodless peonies, fresh-gather'd pinks;
Search on the brinks
Of rivers the great water-lily globe
Freed from its dark green robe:
Thus when my lady tireth she may tread
A bridal way to bed.

Bring flawless flowers,
And those that are more delicate than ours;
Love's votarist,
Shade her with lilies of the Eucharist
About her head;
Let myrtle and jasmine curtain up her bed,
Whose lingering scent
Shall lend her dreams perpetual ravishment:
Now, being kiss'd,
One crimson rose shall witness near her breast.