Lady Probationer
William Ernest Henley 1849 (Gloucester) – 1903 (Woking)
Some three, or five, or seven, and thirty years;
A Roman nose; a dimpling double-chin;
Dark eyes and shy that, ignorant of sin,
Are yet acquainted, it would seem, with tears;
A comely shape; a slim, high-coloured hand,
Graced, rather oddly, with a signet ring;
A bashful air, becoming everything;
A well-bred silence always at command.
Her plain print gown, prim cap, and bright steel chain
Look out of place on her, and I remain
Absorbed in her, as in a pleasant mystery.
Quick, skilful, quiet, soft in speech and touch . . .
'Do you like nursing?' 'Yes, Sir, very much.'
Somehow, I rather think she has a history.
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 32 sec read
- 29 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | ABBCDEEDFFGHHG |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 610 |
Words | 111 |
Stanzas | 1 |
Stanza Lengths | 14 |
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"Lady Probationer" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 10 Jun 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/40496/lady-probationer>.
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