| Hunt and Lee, comps. The Book of the Sonnet. 1867. | | | | III. Prophetical Self-reflected Words | | By Alexander Smith (1830–1867) |
| | | I WROTE a name upon the river sands | |
| With her who bore it standing by my side, | |
| Her large dark eyes lit up with gentle pride, | |
| And leaning on my arm with claspéd hands; | |
| To burning words of mine she thus replied, | 5 |
| “Nay, write not on thy heart. This tablet frail | |
| Fitteth as frail a vow. Fantastic bands | |
| Will scarce confine these limbs.” I turned love-pale, | |
| I gazed upon the rivered landscape wide, | |
| And thought how little it would all avail | 10 |
| Without her love. ’T was on a morn of May, | |
| Within a month I stood upon the sand; | |
| Gone was the name I traced with trembling hand,— | |
| And from my heart ’t was also gone away. | | | | |
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