An Apprehension
By Elizabeth Barrett Browning
If all the gentlest-hearted friends I know
Concentred in one heart their gentleness,
That still grew gentler, till its pulse was less
For life than pity, -- I should yet be slow
To bring my own heart nakedly below
The palm of such a friend, that he should press
Motive, condition, means, appliances,
My false ideal joy and fickle wo,
Out full to light and knowledge. I should fear
Some plait between the brows -- some rougher chime
In the free voice ... O angels, let the flood
Of bitter scorn dash on me! Do ye hear
What I say, who bear camly all the time
This everlasting face-to-face with GOD?
Source Book
The Poems Of Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Volume 1
by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Copyright 1853
Published by C. S. Francis & Co., 262 Broadway, New York
Crosby & Nichols, Boston
To Link To This Page
If you have a website and feel that a link to this page would fit in nicely with the content of your pages, please feel free to link to this page. Copy and paste the following html into your webpage. (You may modify the link text to suit your needs).
This link will look like this:
An Apprehension
by Elizabeth Barrett Browning



