Nay, deem me not insensible, Cesario,
To female charms; nor think this heart of mine
Is cas’d in adamant; because, forsooth,
I cannot ogle, and hyperbolize,
And whisper tender nothings in the ear
Of ev’ry would-be beauty, holding out
The bright but treacherous flame of flattery,
To watch the she-moths of a drawing room
Sport round the beam, and burn their pretty wings,
Ere conscious of their danger: yet, believe me,
I love a maid whose untranscended form
Is yet less lovely than her spotless mind.
With modest frankness, unaffected genius,
Unchang’d good humour, beauty void of art,
And polish’d wit that seeks not to offend,
And winning smiles that seek not to betray,
She charms the sight, and fascinates the soul.
Where dwells this matchless nymph? alas, Cesario,
‘Tis but a sickly creature of my fancy,
Unparallel’d in nature.
(Thomas Love Peacock)
More Poetry from Thomas Love Peacock:
Thomas Love Peacock Poems based on Topics: Mind, Sense & Perception, Danger & Risk, Soul, Belief & Faith, Nature, Beauty, Betrayal, Jokes & Humor, Drawing & Painting, Art- Palmyra (1st Edition) (Thomas Love Peacock Poems)
- Sir Hornbook (Thomas Love Peacock Poems)
- Palmyra (2nd Edition) (Thomas Love Peacock Poems)
- A Bill for the Better Promotion of Oppression on the Sabbath Day (Thomas Love Peacock Poems)
- Quintetto (Thomas Love Peacock Poems)
- Love and Age (Thomas Love Peacock Poems)
Readers Who Like This Poem Also Like:
Based on Topics: Mind Poems, Soul Poems, Nature Poems, Sense & Perception Poems, Beauty Poems, Art Poems, Belief & Faith Poems, Wit Poems, Danger & Risk Poems, Jokes & Humor Poems, Betrayal PoemsBased on Keywords: unchang, cas, ogle, fascinates, unparallel, cesario, untranscended