Bliss Carman, et al., eds. The World’s Best Poetry.
Volume IX. Tragedy: Humor. 1904. | | | | Humorous Poems: I. Woman | | The Sea | | Eva L. Ogden |
| | | SHE was rich and of high degree; | |
| A poor and unknown artist he. | |
| “Paint me,” she said, “a view of the sea.” | |
| |
| So he painted the sea as it looked the day | |
| That Aphroditè arose from its spray; | 5 |
| And it broke, as she gazed on its face the while, | |
| Into its countless-dimpled smile. | |
| “What a poky, stupid picture!” said she: | |
| “I don’t believe he can paint the sea!” | |
| |
| Then he painted a raging, tossing sea, | 10 |
| Storming, with fierce and sudden shock, | |
| A towering, mighty fastness-rock;— | |
| In its sides, above those leaping crests, | |
| The thronging sea-birds built their nests. | |
| “What a disagreeable daub!” said she: | 15 |
| “Why, it isn’t anything like the sea!” | |
| |
| Then he painted a stretch of hot brown sand, | |
| With a big hotel on either hand, | |
| And a handsome pavilion for the band;— | |
| Not a sign of water to be seen, | 20 |
| Except one faint little streak of green. | |
| “What a perfectly exquisite picture!” said she: | |
| “It ’s the very image of the sea!” | | | | |
|
|
