Jephthah and Other Mysteries

LYRICAL AND DRAMATIC. 193 SONNET TO CLYTIE. LYTIE, beyond all praise, thou goodliest Of queens, thou royal woman, crowned with tears, That could not move the dull stars from their spheres To kiss thee. For the sun would fainer rest In the gold chambers of the glowing west Than answer thy love, thine, whose soul endears All souls but his, whose slow desire fears The fierce embraces of thine olive breast. O Queen, sun-lover, we are wed with thee In changeless love, in passion for a fire . Whose lips bind all men in their bitter spell ; A love whose first caress, hard won, would be The final dissolution of desire, A flame to shrivel us with fire of hell.