96 
-THE POETRY- OF FLOWERS. 
With its dark buds and leaves, wandering astray, 
And flowers azure, black, and streak’d with gold ; 
Fairer than any waken’d eyes behold. 
And nearer to the river’s trembling edge 
There grew broad flag-flowers, purple prankt 
with white, 
And starry river buds among the sedge, 
And floating water-lilies, broad and bright, 
Which lit the oak that overhung the hedge 
With moonlight beams of their own watery 
light; 
And bulrushes and reeds of such deep green 
As soothed the dazzled eye with sober sheen. 
Methought that of these visionary flowers 
I made a nosegay, bound in such a v/ay 
That the same hues which in their natural bower* 
Were mingled or opposed, the like array 
Kept these imprison’d children of the hours 
Within my hand,— and then, elate and gay, 
I hasten’d to the spot whence I had come, 
That I might there present it!—Oh! to whom f 
