Poem by Caroline Elizabeth Sarah Norton

Sonnet 9. WHEN our young Queen put on her rightful crown

  TO THE COUNTESS HELÉNE ZAVADOWSKY.

WHEN our young Queen put on her rightful crown
In Gothic Westminster's long-hallow'd walls,
The eye upon no lovelier sight look'd down
Than thou, fair Russian! Memory still recalls
The soft light of thy sapphire-colour'd eyes,
The rich twine of thy simply-braided hair,
And the low murmur of the crowd's surprise
To see thee pass along so strangely fair.
Nor didst thou charm by looks and smiles alone,--
Thy "broken English" had its share of grace;
For something in thy accent and thy tone
So match'd the beauty of thy gentle face,
We seem'd to hear our old familiar words
Set to some foreign lute or harp's melodious chords!

1. Sonnet 6. Where the red wine-cup floweth, there art thou!
2. Sonnet 16. WHITE Rose of Bourbon's branch, so early faded!
3. I Cannot Love Thee!
4. Sonnet 11. Green avenue, whose shadow dim and sweet
5. Sonnet 8. SILENT companions of the lonely hour

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