Madeline

Thou art not steep'd in golden languors,

      No tranced summer calm is thine,

                  Ever varying Madeline.

      Thro' light and shadow thou dost range,

      Sudden glances, sweet and strange,

Delicious spites and darling angers,

      And airy forms of flitting change.

Smiling, frowning, evermore,

Thou art perfect in love-lore.

Revealings deep and clear are thine

Of wealthy smiles; but who may know

Whether smile or frown be fleeter?

Whether smile or frown be sweeter,

                  Who may know?

Frowns perfect-sweet along the brow

Light-glooming over eyes divine,

Like little clouds sun-fringed, are thine,

                  Ever varying Madeline.

Thy smile and frown are not aloof

      From one another,

      Each to each is dearest brother;

Hues of the silken sheeny woof

      Momently shot into each other.

            All the mystery is thine;

Smiling, frowning, evermore,

Thou art perfect in love-lore,

                  Ever varying Madeline.

A subtle, sudden flame,

      By veering passion fann'd,

            About thee breaks and dances:

      When I would kiss thy hand,

The flush of anger'd shame

            O'erflows thy calmer glances,

And o'er black brows drops down

A sudden-curved frown:

But when I turn away,

Thou, willing me to stay,

      Wooest not, nor vainly wranglest;

            But, looking fixedly the while,

      All my bounding heart entanglest

            In a golden-nettled smile;

Then in madness and in bliss,

If my lips should dare to kiss

Thy taper fingers amorously,

Again thou blushest angrily;

And o'er black brows drops down

A sudden-curved frown.