Dante Gabriel Rossetti

The House of Life: 41. Through Death to Love

Like labour-laden moonclouds faint to flee
        From winds that sweep the winter—bitten wold,—
        Like multiform circumfluence manifold
Of night’s flood-tide,—like terrors that agree
Of hoarse-tongued fire and inarticulate sea,—
        Even such, within some glass dimm’d by our breath,
        Our hearts discern wild images of Death,
Shadows and shoals that edge eternity.
 
Howbeit athwart Death’s imminent shade doth soar
        One Power, than flow of stream or flight of dove
        Sweeter to glide around, to brood above.
Tell me, my heart,—what angel—greeted door
Or threshold of wing—winnow’d threshing—floor
        Hath guest fire-fledg’d as thine, whose lord is Love?
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