Landon in The Literary Gazette 1825/Portrait 2

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2279303PoemsPortrait 21825Letitia Elizabeth Landon

Literary Gazette, 4th June, 1825, Page 363


2.

His brow was like the marble, which the sun
Hath in meridian splendour shone upon,
Whitening away its every earthly stain;
With not a colour save one azure vein;
Too clear for health, to show that life was there,
Else it had been too statue-like, too fair:
And there were sunny curls; they were too bright,
Too like, alas! that mockery of light
In summer noontide hours—such as is thrown
O'er the pale whiteness of the funeral stone.
His mouth was feminine in loveliness,
But that its scornful smile could well express
Proud and high feelings ; and his voice was low,
Those tones that to the heart directly go,
And cannot be forgotten: he seemed one
Who knew how dearly happiness is won;
Happiness! pleasure I should rather say,
Happiness never made on earth a stay—
But he is in the grave—the early grave,
Which ruined hopes, and withered feelings gave.
L. E. L.