My Amazon.

I.

    My Love is a lady fair and free,
    A lady fair from over the sea,
    And she hath eyes that pierce my breast
    And rob my spirit of peace and rest.


II.

    A youthful warrior, warm and young,
    She takes me prisoner with her tongue,
    Aye! and she keeps me, - on parole, -
    Till paid the ransom of my soul.


III.

    I swear the foeman, arm'd for war
    From cap-à-pie, with many a scar,
    More mercy finds for prostrate foe
    Than she who deals me never a blow.


IV.

    And so 'twill be, this many a day;
    She comes to wound, if not to slay.
    But in my dreams, - in honied sleep, -
    'Tis I to smile, and she to weep!

Eric Mackay

Eric Mackay, born on June 1, 1851, was a noted English poet whose work gained recognition in the late 19th century. He is best known for his sonnets and lyrical poetry, which were celebrated for their emotional depth and technical mastery. His most famous work, 'Love Letters of a Violinist,' was well-received during his lifetime. Mackay's contributions to English literature have been acknowledged for their artistic merit. He passed away on June 8, 1898.

Eric Mackay

Love Letters of a Violinist. Letter VII. Hope.

Eric Mackay, Simple Poetry

A Prayer For Light.

Eric Mackay, Simple Poetry

The Song Of The Flag.

Eric Mackay, Simple Poetry

Love Letters of a Violinist. Letter IV. Yearnings.

Eric Mackay, Simple Poetry

English

Suggested Poems

Explore a curated selection of verses that share themes, styles, and emotional resonance with the poem you've just read.

Mirage.

I.

                'Tis a legend of a lover,
                'Tis a ballad to be sung,
                In the gloaming, - under cover, -
                By a minstrel who is young;
    By a singer who has passion, and who sways us with his tongue.


II.

                I, who know it, think upon it,
                Not unhappy, tho' in tears,
                And I gather in a sonnet
                All the glory of the years;
    And I kiss and clasp a shadow when the substance disappears.


III.

                Ah! I see her as she faced me,
                In the sinless summer days,
                When her little hands embraced me,
                And I saddened at her gaze,
    Thinking, Sweet One! will she love ...

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A Lover's Litanies - Tenth Litany. Gloria in Excelsis.

i.

O Love! O Lustre of the sunlit earth
    That knows thy step and revels in the worth
Of thy much beauty! Is't thy will anew,
Famed as thou art, to marvel that I sue
With such persistence, and in such unrest
Amid the frenzies of my passion-quest?
    Wilt look ungently, and without a tear,
On all the pangs I bear at thy behest?


ii.

Morning and eve I cease not, when I kneel
    To my Redeemer for my spirit's weal
And for my body's,--as becomes a man,--
Morning and eve I cease not in the span
Of all my days, O thou Unconquer'd One!
To pray for thee, and do what may be done
    To re-acquire the friendship I have lost,
Which is the holiest thing beneath the sun.


iii.

For what is fame that with so loud a v...

Eric Mackay

Love Letters of a Violinist. Letter V. Confessions.



Letter V. Confessions.


I.

    O Lady mine! O Lady of my Life!
    Mine and not mine, a being of the sky
    Turn'd into Woman, and I know not why -
    Is't well, bethink thee, to maintain a strife
    With thy poor servant? War unto the knife,
    Because I greet thee with a lover's eye?


II.

    Is't well to visit me with thy disdain,
    And rack my soul, because, for love of thee,
    I was too prone to sink upon my knee,
    And too intent to make my meaning plain,
    And too resolved to make my loss a gain
    To...

Eric Mackay

Love Letters of a Violinist. Letter XII. Victory.



Letter XII. Victory.


I.

    Now have I reach'd the goal of my desire,
    For thou hast sworn - as sweetly as a bell
    Makes out its chime - the oath I love to tell,
    The fealty-oath of which I never tire.
    The lordly forest seems a giant's lyre,
    And sings, and rings, the thoughts that o'er it swell.


II.

    The air is fill'd with voices. I have found
    Comfort at last, enthralment, and a joy
    Past all belief; a peace without alloy.
    There is a splendour all about the ground
    As if from Eden, when the w...

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Love Letters of a Violinist. Letter II. Sorrow.



Letter II. Sorrow.


I.

    Yes, I was mad. I know it. I was mad.
    For there is madness in the looks of love;
    And he who frights a tender, brooding dove
    Is not more base than I, and not so sad;
    For I had kill'd the hope that made me glad,
    And curs'd, in thought, the sunlight from above.


II.

    He was a fool, indeed, who lately tried
    To touch the moon, far-shining in the trees,
    He clomb the branches with his hands and knees.
    And craned his neck to kiss what he espied.
    But down he fell, unseemly in his prid...

Eric Mackay

Love Letters of a Violinist. Letter XI. Faith.



Letter XI. Faith.


I.

    Now will I sing to God a song of praise,
    And thank the morning for the light it brings,
    Aye! and the earth for every flower that springs,
    And every tree that, in the jocund days,
    Thrills to the blast. My voice I will upraise
    To thank the world for every bird that sings.


II.

    I will unpack my mind of all its fears,
    I will advance to where the matin fires
    Absorb the hills. My hopes and my desires
    Will lead me safe; and day will have no tears
    And night no torture, as i...

Eric Mackay