Young Girls with Roses, 1911
by Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema
Oil on canvas

A Prayer in Spring
by Robert Frost (1915)

Oh, give us pleasure in the flowers to-day;
And give us not to think so far away
As the uncertain harvest; keep us here
All simply in the springing of the year.

Oh, give us pleasure in the orchard white,
Like nothing else by day, like ghosts by night;
And make us happy in the happy bees,
The swarm dilating round the perfect trees.

And make us happy in the darting bird
That suddenly above the bees is heard,
The meteor that thrusts in with needle bill,
And off a blossom in mid air stands still.

For this is love and nothing else is love,
The which it is reserved for God above
To sanctify to what far ends He will,
But which it only needs that we fulfil.

Link back to the Poetry Wednesday tour on Laurita’s page

See my Art Sunday Blog for Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema’s biography:
 http://lauritasita.multiply.com/journal/item/1231/Art_Sunday_032209_The_Colors_of_Spring

deletereply sistahpoet wrote on Mar 23, ’09 VERY BEAUTIFUL!

deletereply welshdoug wrote on Mar 23, ’09 I’ve always liked Robert Frost’s work.

deletereply sugarpiehuny wrote on Mar 23, ’09 Wonderful way to start my Monday, Thanks Laurita

deletereply sugarpiehuny wrote on Mar 23, ’09 Reading this inspired me.. Thanks again… http://sugarpiehuny.multiply.com/journal/item/149/The_Spring_of_Life

deletereply forgetmenot525 wrote on Mar 23, ’09 very nice, its a pretty, inspirational poem, like the painting too, well matched with the poem.

deletereply billatplay wrote on Mar 23, ’09 It has the feel of a trench poem but it seems not so. Many great works resulted from that horror and most certainly your choice is of that time. Natural beauty, seen for the first time near the end of time. Thank you.

deletereply bostonsdandd wrote on Mar 24, ’09 This reminds me of something. Someone, I can’t remember who LOL, related the passing years of life to the passing of the seasons. Spring is childhood, Summer is adolescence, Fall is adulthood, and Winter is (Oh I HATE this word :os) old age. This poem really does remind me of childhood. When we’re a child all we know is love. We haven’t been disillusioned by the world yet. So we go around being carefree and footloose. That what this poem reminds me of. Thanks for showing me what it felt like to be a child again :o)! http://bostonsdandd.multiply.com/journal/item/266

deletereply jadedruid wrote on Mar 25, ’09 This is wonderful. I have always loved Frost. Excellent pairing of the poem with the Alma-Tadema painting. It pulls together the carefree happiness in the poem.

deletereply darlene57 wrote on Mar 25, ’09 Beautiful poetry, Robert Frost writes no less~smilies~d~

deletereply dianahopeless wrote on Mar 26, ’09 One of my favorite poems. It depicts Spring perfectly!

deletereply forgetmenot525 wrote on Mar 26, ’09 Oh dear……………I posted and then I forgot to sign in, sorry this is so late but here it is http://forgetmenot525.multiply.com/journal/item/276/Poetry_Wednesday_Ian_Hamilton_Findlay

deletereply skeezicks1957 wrote on Mar 26, ’09 It has been spring like weather here but my son told me today that  Denver is having a blizzard!