Henry O'Meara Ballads of America

Much is the force of heaven-bred poesy.
--SHAKESPEARE
SHAKESPEARIAN PEARLS.
Decoration

ISABELLA *

IN
"MEASURE FOR MEASURE"
EXALTED issue of our Shakespeare's dream,
  Shine, Isabella, Star of cloistral roll -
The shadowed lot thy vows of life redeem
Is lit with radiance from a vestal beam -
   An effluent lustre out thy virgin soul!
 
Clad with thy vesture of illumined clay
  That Nature and Religion blent endow
To fire men's hearts, yet guilt-wrought heat allay,
With psychic charms too subtile for decay -
  Before thy power their tyrant passions bow.
 
Decoration
THE FLAG ABOVE THE SCHOOL CONTENTS IMOGEN

 

Edited and formatted by Sheldon Brown

updated Wednesday, April 19, 2000
URL: https://www.sheldonbrown.com/omeara/isabella.html
Copyright © 2000 Sheldon Brown