Memorial Thresholds (Delaware draft manuscript)Dante Gabriel RossettiMemorial ThresholdsDGR1873draft manuscriptDGRDelaware Art Museum
Commentary
Introduction
This is the earliest of four surviving manuscripts of the sonnet.
Textual History: Composition
Textual History: Revision
Production History
Reception History
Iconographic
Printing History
Pictorial
Historical
Literary
Translation
Autobiographical
Bibliographic
LXXXI Ch & FatePencil note for the sonnet's place in The House of Life.A Street CornerThe Gate of Memory.StationsMemorial's ThresholdsMemory's Threshold(H. of L.)What place so strange,—though unimagined
unconjectured snowWith unimaginable fires ariseAt the earth's end,—what passion of surpriseLike the strange [?]frost-bound fire-girt scenes of long ago? Lo! this is none but I this hour; and lo! This is the very place which to mine eyesThose mortal hours in vain immortalize,'Mid hurrying crowds, with what alone I know.City, of thine a single simple door,By some new power reduplicate, must beEven yet my life-porch in eternity,Even With one lost figure filled, as once of yore:Or mocking winds whirl round a chaff-strown floorThee and thy years and these my words and me_____________________Or shall the winds some wind whirl round for evermoreOr let the vain winds whirl for evermore