Erotica/How Shall I Woo Thee?

by Arthur Clark Kennedy

How Shall I Woo Thee?

How shall I woo thee, Love?
Under the lang'rous noon,
Bringing thee roses red
And redder gold, to spread
Speech till thy senses swoon?
Or when the twilight falls,
With the soft aid
Of music, heavenly maid,
Scaling thy walls?

How shall I win thee, Love?
Standing forth in the sun,
Claiming thee as the meed
Of some heroic deed
Greatly dared, greatly done?
Or with my wistful eyes,
Flattering thy sunny face,
Praising thy stately grace,
Silence's prize?

How shall I wear thee, Love?
Throned mid the flaunted crowd,
Lifted aloft and crowned
With men's applause, the sound
Making me proud?
Or shrined within my heart,
Hidden where none may come,
Under a golden dome
Always apart.