An Anemone

'Teach me the wisdom of thy beauty, pray, That, being thus wise, I may aspire to see What beauty is, whence, why, and in what way Immortal, yet how mortal utterly: For, shrinking loveliness, thy brow of day Pleads plaintive as a prayer, anemone. 'Teach me wood-wisdom, I am petulant: Thou hast the wildness of a Dryad's eyes, The shyness of an Oread's, wild plant:- Behold the bashful goddess where she lies Distinctly delicate!- inhabitant Ambrosial-earthed, star-cousin of the skies. 'Teach me thy wisdom, for, thro' knowing, yet, When I have drunk dull Lethe till each vein Thuds full oblivion, I shall not forget;- For beauty known is beauty; to sustain Glad memories with life, while mad regret And sorrow perish, being Lethe slain.' 'Teach thee my beauty being beautiful And beauty wise?- My slight perfections, whole As world, as man, in their creation full As old a Power's cogitation roll. Teach thee?- Presumption! thought is young and dull- Question thy God what God is, soul what soul.'