quote · Legacy record
First of the first, Such I pronounce Pompilia, then as now Perfect in whiteness: stoop thou down, my child.. My rose, I gather for the breast of God.. And surely not so very much apart, Need I place thee, my warrior-priest.. In thought, word and deed, How throughout all thy warfare thou wast pure, I find it easy to believe: and if At any fateful moment of the strange Adventure, the strong passion of that strait, Fear and surprise may have revealed too much,— As when a thundrous midnight, with black air That burns, rain-drops that blister, breaks a spell, Draws out the excessive virtue of some sheathed Shut unsuspected flower that hoards and hides Immensity of sweetness,—so, perchance, Might the surprise and fear release too much The perfect beauty of the body and soul Thou savedst in thy passion for God’s sake, He who is Pity. Was the trial sore? Temptation sharp? Thank God a second time! Why comes temptation but for man to meet And master and make crouch beneath his feet, And so be pedestaled in triumph?
First of the first, Such I pronounce Pompilia, then as now Perfect in whiteness: stoop thou down, my child.. My rose, I gather for the breast of God.. And surely not so very much apart, Need I place thee, my warrior-priest.. In thought, word and deed, How throughout all thy warfare thou wast pure, I find it easy to believe: and if At any fateful moment of the strange Adventure, the strong passion of that strait, Fear and surprise may have revealed too much,— As when a thundrous midnight, with black air That burns, rain-drops that blister, breaks a spell, Draws out the excessive virtue of some sheathed Shut unsuspected flower that hoards and hides Immensity of sweetness,—so, perchance, Might the surprise and fear release too much The perfect beauty of the body and soul Thou savedst in thy passion for God’s sake, He who is Pity. Was the trial sore? Temptation sharp? Thank God a second time! Why comes temptation but for man to meet And master and make crouch beneath his feet, And so be pedestaled in triumph?
Approximate author period: c. 1850 AD · industrial
Meaning not yet available
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Begin with source-checked readings and explanations ↗Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Robert Browning
Attribution: attributed - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Approximate author period: c. 1850 AD · industrial
author lifetime midpoint (1812–1889)
An author lifetime, approximate period or collection date is not necessarily the date when these words were first written or spoken. - Recorded source
- My Commonplace Book (third English edition,1921) (1921 AD)
Page 71 · printed citation: R. Browning (The Ring and the Book, X). · compiler notes excluded
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.