Plan your visit. 225 Madison Avenue at 36th Street, New York, NY 10016.

Plan your visit. 225 Madison Avenue at 36th Street, New York, NY 10016.

002. "Roses and Rue", page 1

Oscar Wilde
1854–1900

"Roses and Rue."

Autograph manuscript signed, ca. 1884–1885. 4 p.

MA 7258.1

Gift of Lucia Moreira Salles, 2008

Transcription

Page 1

I remember we used to meet
    By the1 garden seat,
And you warbled each pretty word
    With the air of a bird,

And your voice had a quaver in it,
    Just like a linnet,
And shook with the last full note,
    As the thrushe's2 throat.

And your eyes, they were green and gray,
    Like an April day,
But lit into amethyst
    When I stooped, and kissed.

And your hair, —well, I never could tie it,
    For it ran all riot,
Like a tangled sunbeam of gold,
    Great fold on3 fold!

1 For publication, "the" was changed to "a."
2 For publication, "thrushe's" was changed to "thrush's."
3 For publication, "on" was changed to "upon."