Sonnet Sweet Poets Of The Gentle Antique Line

Sweet poets of the gentle antique line,

That made the hue of beauty all eterne;

And gave earth's melodies a silver turn,--

Where did you steal your art so right divine?--

Sweetly ye memoried every golden twine

Of your ladies' tresses: -- teach me how to spurn

Death's lone decaying and oblivion stern

From the sweet forehead of a lady mine.

The golden clusters of enamouring hair

Glow'd in poetic pictures sweetly well;--

Why should not tresses dusk, that are so fair

On the live brow, have an eternal spell

In poesy? -- dark eyes are dearer far

Than orbs that mock the hyacinthine-bell.

John Keats' sonnet, "Blue! 'Tis the life of heaven," &c. was a reply to this sonnet by Reynolds. Printed in The Garden Of Florence &c, 1821.