A birthday
BY CHRISTINA ROSSETTI
My heart is like a singing bird
Whose nest is in a water’d shoot;
My heart is like an apple-tree
Whose boughs are bent with thickset fruit;
My heart is like a rainbow shell
That paddles in a halcyon sea;
My heart is gladder than all these
Because my love is come to me.
Raise me a dais of silk and down;
Hang it with vair and purple dyes;
Carve it in doves and pomegranates,
And peacocks with a hundred eyes;
Work it in gold and silver grapes,
In leaves and silver fleurs-de-lys;
Because the birthday of my life
Is come, my love is come to me.
Hello Clovers, I came across this poem way back in high school for my IGCSE literature. It was definitely one of my favourites in the whole poetry list we had to study. I didn’t post it just because it’s my birthday month (definitely not) . I found it as such a poem that represents a new beginning or perhaps reaching a new chapter in life. I hope you enjoy the poem as much as I did.