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Non Dolet

By Algernon Charles Swinburne

Topics: classic

It does not hurt. She looked along the knife     Smiling, and watched the thick drops mix and run     Down the sheer blade; not that which had been done     Could hurt the sweet sense of the Roman wife,     But that which was to do yet ere the strife     Could end for each for ever, and the sun:     Nor was the palm yet nor was peace yet won     While pain had power upon her husbands life.     It does not hurt, Italia. Thou art more     Than bride to bridegroom; how shalt thou not take     The gift loves blood has reddened for thy sake?     Was not thy lifeblood given for us before?     And if loves heartblood can avail thy need,     And thou not die, how should it hurt indeed?

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"It does not hurt. She looked along the knife..."

Exploring the themes of classic, Algernon Charles Swinburne delivers a powerful performance in "Non Dolet"... ### Why We Love This Line At Linespedia, we believe that poetry is the ultimate sanctuary for the soul...

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Author:Algernon Charles Swinburne

"It does not hurt. She looked along the knife..." by Algernon Charles Swinburne

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Algernon Charles Swinburne

About Algernon Charles Swinburne

Algernon Charles Swinburne (1837–1909) was an English poet known for metrical innovation and bold themes. His "Atalanta in Calydon" and "Poems and Ballads" challenged Victorian conventions with their musical intensity and controversial subject matter.

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