Poem by George Meredith

Modern Love. Sonnet 26. Love ere He Bleeds

Love ere he bleeds, an eagle in high skies,
Has earth beneath his wings: from reddened eve
He views the rosy dawn. In vain they weave
The fatal web below while far he flies.
But when the arrow strikes him, there's a change.
He moves but in the track of his spent pain,
Whose red drops are the links of a harsh chain,
Binding him to the ground, with narrow range.
A subtle serpent then has Love become.
I had the eagle in my bosom erst:
Henceforward with the serpent I am cursed.
I can interpret where the mouth is dumb.
Speak, and I see the side-lie of a truth.
Perchance my heart may pardon you this deed:
But be no coward: -- you that made Love bleed,
You must bear all the venom of his tooth!

1. King Harald's Trance
2. Love Is Winged for Two
3. Nature and Life
4. Modern Love. Sonnet 23. 'Tis Christmas Weather
5. Modern Love. Sonnet 30. What are We First?

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