| Edmund Clarence Stedman, ed. (1833–1908). A Victorian Anthology, 1837–1895. 1895. |
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| How My Song of Her Began |
| | | Philip Bourke Marston (1850–87) |
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| GOD made my lady lovely to behold,— | |
| Above the painter’s dream he set her face, | |
| And wrought her body in divinest grace; | |
| He touch’d the brown hair with a sense of gold; | |
| And in the perfect form He did enfold | 5 |
| What was alone as perfect, the sweet heart; | |
| Knowledge most rare to her He did impart; | |
| And fill’d with love and worship all her days. | |
| And then God thought Him how it would be well | |
| To give her music; and to Love He said, | 10 |
| “Bring thou some minstrel now that he may tell | |
| How fair and sweet a thing My hands have made.” | |
| Then at Love’s call I came, bow’d down my head, | |
| And at His will my lyre grew audible. | |
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