Bright, o bright Fedalma



Maiden crowned with glossy blackness,
Lithe as panther forest-roaming,
Long-armed Naiad when she dances
On a stream of ether floating,
Bright, o bright Fedalma!

Form all curves like softness drifted,
Wave-kissed marble roundly dimpling,
Far-off music slowly wingèd,
Gently rising, gently sinking,
Bright, o bright Fedalma!

Pure as rain-tear on a rose-leaf,
Cloud high born in noonday spotless
Sudden perfect like the dew-bead,
Gem of earth and sky begotten,
Bright, o bright Fedalma!

Beauty has no mortal father,
Holy light her form engendered,
Out of tremor yearning, gladness,
Presage sweet, and joy remembered,
Child of light! Child of light!
Child of light, Fedalma!

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 20, 2023

31 sec read
137

Quick analysis:

Scheme abxbC xbxbC xaxxC xdadxc
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 659
Words 105
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 5, 5, 5, 6

George Eliot

Mary Anne Evans, better known by her pen name George Eliot, was an English novelist, journalist and translator, and one of the leading writers of the Victorian era. more…

All George Eliot poems | George Eliot Books

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1 Comment
  • ThembieAngieeMt
    Such a beautifully crafted poem. The vivid imagery and repetition truly elevate Fedalma into a celestial being. It’s like reading a tribute to an ethereal figure whose beauty transcends the earthly realm. Absolutely captivating. 
    LikeReply13 days ago

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"Bright, o bright Fedalma" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2025. Web. 3 Mar. 2025. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/14925/bright,-o-bright-fedalma>.

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