A Sonnet is a moment's monument,-
Memorial from the Soul's eternity
To one dead deathless hour. Look that it be,
Whether for lustral rite or dire portent,
Of its own arduous fulness reverent:
Carve it in ivory or in ebony,
As Day or Night may rule; and let Time see
Its flowering crest impearled and orient.
A Sonnet is a coin: its face reveals
The soul,-its converse, to what Power 'tis due:-
Whether for tribute to the august appeals
Of Life, or dower in Love's high retinue,
It serve; or, 'mid the dark wharf's cavernous breath,
In Charon's palm it pay the toll to Death.
The House Of Life: Introductory Sonnet
Dante Gabriel Rossetti
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Poem topics: august, breath, dark, death, life, night, power, time, eternity, moment, face, high, Valentine's Day, cavernous, love, sonnet, I love you, soul, Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme
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