Landon in The Literary Gazette 1823/Female Head 1

by Letitia Elizabeth Landon

For other versions of this work, see Unknown Female Head.

Literary Gazette, 8th February 1823, Page 91

UNKNOWN FEMALE HEAD.

I know not of thy history, thou sad
Yet beautiful faced Girl:—the chesnut braid
Bound darkly round thy forehead, the blue veins
Wandering in azure light, the ivory chin
Dimpled so archly, have no characters
Graven by memory; but thy pale cheek,
Like a white rose on which the sun hath looked
Too wildly warm, (is not this passion's legend?)
The drooping lid whose lash is bright with tears,
A lip which has the sweetness of a smile
But not its gaiety—do not these bear
The searched footprints sorrow leaves in passing
O'er the clear brow of youth?—It may but be
An idle thought, but I have dreamed thou wert
A captive in thy hopelessness: afar
From the sweet home of thy young infancy,
Whose image unto thee is as a dream
Of fire and slaughter, I can see thee wasting,
Sick for thy native air, loathing the light
And cheerfulness of men; thyself the last
Of all thy house, a stranger and a slave!^[1]

1. signature after later poem