Explore "Going for the Cows" by Madison Cawein on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
/ I. The juice-big apples' sullen gold, / Like lazy Sultans laughed and lolled / 'Mid heavy mats of leaves that lay / Green-flatten'd 'gainst the glaring day; / And here a pear of rusty brown, / And peaches on whose brows the down / Waxed furry as the ears of Pan, / And, like Diana's cheeks, whose tan / Burnt tender secresies of fire, / Or wan as Psyche's with desire / Of lips that love to kiss or taste / Voluptuous ripeness there sweet placed. / And down the orchard vistas he, -- / Barefooted, trousers out at knee, / Face shadowing from the sloping sun / A hat of straw, brim-sagging broad, -- / Came, lowly whistling some vague tune, / Upon the sunbeam-sprinkled road. / Lank in his hand a twig with which / In boyish thoughtlessness he crushed / Rare pennyroyal myriads rich / In pungent souls that warmly gushed. / Before him whirled in rattling fear / The saffron-bellied grasshopper; / And ringing from the musky dells / Came faint the cows' melodious bells, / Where whimp'ring like a fretful hound / The fountain bubbled up in sound.
/ II. Yellow as sunset skies and pale / As fairy clouds that stay or sail / Thro' azure vaults of summer, blue / As summer heavens the violets grew; / And mosses on which spurts of light / Fell laughing, like the lips one might / Feign for a Hebe or a girl / Whose mouth heat-lightens up with pearl; / Limp ferns in murmuring shadows shrunk / And silent as if stunned or drunk / With moist aromas of the wood; / Dry rustlings of the quietude; / On silver fronds' thin tresses new / Cold limpid blisters of the dew. / Across the rambling fence she leaned: / A gingham gown to ankles bare; / Her artless beauty, bonnet-screened, / Tempestuous with its stormy hair. / A rain-crow gurgled in a vine, -- / She heard it not -- a step she hears; / The wild rose smelt like delicate wine, -- / She knew it not -- 'tis he that nears. / With smiles of greeting all her face / Grew musical; with rustic grace / He leant beside her, and they had / Some parley, with light laughter glad; / I know not what; I know but this, / Its final period was a kiss.