"And ere the sentence left its hallow'd cave, / Would tell what thought was venturing next abroad. / Nor had Disguise in all her face or soul / One place to hide her poor and artful head; / Truth and her train had tenanted each cell, / And honest Friendship at the portal stood / To point or tell you what was done within."
— Blamire, Susanna (1747-1794)
Author
Date
1842
Metaphor
"And ere the sentence left its hallow'd cave, / Would tell what thought was venturing next abroad. / Nor had Disguise in all her face or soul / One place to hide her poor and artful head; / Truth and her train had tenanted each cell, / And honest Friendship at the portal stood / To point or tell you what was done within."
Metaphor in Context
The fairest lily of the field now droops,--
Hangs low the head, where Beauty soft had wove
Those sweet entanglements that hold the eye,
And through her silken veil would fondly show
The various workings of the virtuous soul;
The heart look'd through, and spread along the face
The sentimental trait that mark'd the mind.
Compassion oft would bud into a tear,
And honest Scorn would flush the redd'ning cheek,
When harsh conclusions or ungenerous truths
Would drop like gall from the satiric tongue.
Worth she approv'd, however mean array'd;
And greatness could not charm but by the soul.
Her accents fell with such a melting sound
On every word that cloth'd her modest thought,
That sweet Expression told the careless heart
Whene'er she spoke she could not speak in vain!
Your eye from her's would learn a mode of speech
Which, when she pleas'd, could useless make the ear,
And ere the sentence left its hallow'd cave,
Would tell what thought was venturing next abroad.
Nor had Disguise in all her face or soul
One place to hide her poor and artful head;
Truth and her train had tenanted each cell,
And honest Friendship at the portal stood
To point or tell you what was done within.
Hangs low the head, where Beauty soft had wove
Those sweet entanglements that hold the eye,
And through her silken veil would fondly show
The various workings of the virtuous soul;
The heart look'd through, and spread along the face
The sentimental trait that mark'd the mind.
Compassion oft would bud into a tear,
And honest Scorn would flush the redd'ning cheek,
When harsh conclusions or ungenerous truths
Would drop like gall from the satiric tongue.
Worth she approv'd, however mean array'd;
And greatness could not charm but by the soul.
Her accents fell with such a melting sound
On every word that cloth'd her modest thought,
That sweet Expression told the careless heart
Whene'er she spoke she could not speak in vain!
Your eye from her's would learn a mode of speech
Which, when she pleas'd, could useless make the ear,
And ere the sentence left its hallow'd cave,
Would tell what thought was venturing next abroad.
Nor had Disguise in all her face or soul
One place to hide her poor and artful head;
Truth and her train had tenanted each cell,
And honest Friendship at the portal stood
To point or tell you what was done within.
Categories
Provenance
Searching in "head" and "cell" in HDIS (Poetry)
Theme
Inner and Outer
Date of Entry
08/29/2005
