A Sea-Spell Dante Gabriel Rossetti 1 By permission of The British Library A Sea-Spell Dante Gabriel Rossetti 1870 April fair copy 1 leaf with text on recto British Library MS. add 41130 Commentary
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This fair copy of the sonnet was made seven years before the painting which it doubles.

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<hi rend="center">A Sea-Spell.</hi> Her lute hangs shadowed in the apple-tree, Whole flashing fingers weave the sweet-strung spell Between its chords; and as the wild notes swell The sea-bird for those branches leaves the sea. But to what sound her listening ear stoops she? What netherworld gulf-whispers doth she hear? In answering echoes from what planisphere, Along the wind, along the estuary? She sinks into the spell: and when full soon Her lips move and she soars into her song, What creatures of the midmost main shall throng In furrowed surf-clouds to the summoning rune: Till he, the fated mariner, hears her cry, And up her rock, bare-breasted, comes to die? ------------------------------- D G Rossetti April 1870