To Mary

  I seem, in the midst of the crowd,
    The lightest of all;
  My laughter rings cheery and loud,
    In banquet and ball.
  My lip hath its smiles and its sneers,
    For all men to see;
  But my soul, and my truth, and my tears,
    Are for thee, are for thee!

  Around me they flatter and fawn—
    The young and the old.
  The fairest are ready to pawn
    Their hearts for my gold.
  They sue me—I laugh as I spurn
    The slaves at my knee;
  But in faith and in fondness I turn
    Unto thee, unto thee!

Credit

This poem is in the public domain.

About this Poem

From Ballads and Songs (Cassell, London,1896)

Author

William Makepeace Thackeray

William Makepeace Thackeray, born July 18, 1811, was an English writer best known for his novels, particularly The History of Henry Esmond, Esq. (The Mershon Company Publishers, 1852) and Vanity Fair (Bradbury and Evans, 1848). While in school, Thackeray began writing poems, which he published in a number of magazines, chiefly Fraser and Punch. He died on December 24, 1863.

Date Published

07/26/2018