Sonnet: To the Poppy

Anna Seward 1742 – 1809

While summer roses all their glory yield

To crown the votary of love and joy,

Misfortune’s victim hails, with many a sigh,

Thee, scarlet Poppy of the pathless field,

Gaudy, yet wild and lone; no leaf to shield

Thy flaccid vest that, as the gale blows high,

Flaps, and alternate folds around thy head.

So stands in the long grass a love-crazed maid,

Smiling aghast; while stream to every wind

Her garish ribbons, smeared with dust and rain;

But brain-sick visions cheat her tortured mind,

And bring false peace. Thus, lulling grief and pain,

Kind dreams oblivious from thy juice proceed,

Thou flimsy, showy, melancholy weed.

Mentioned in this episode:

One Poem Only submissions are open.

I’m filling the next chapter of One Poem Only and would love to include your work. Send me the poem you wrote and want the world to hear. New this round: if you’d like to read your own poem on the podcast, you can. No need for a perfect studio recording—just a clear audio file recorded in a quiet space. If you choose this option, you’ll submit your poem and an audio file of you reading it. Submissions close Thursday, July 30. I’ll respond by August 12. Whether I read your poem or you read it yourself, I’d love to hear what you’re ready to share.