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Adapted from "A Ballad for London" By Richard Le Gallienne
1
Ah, London! London! our delight,
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Great flower that opens but at night, Great City of the Midnight Sun,
Whose day begins when day is done.
Lamp after lamp against the sky
7. Opens a sudden beaming eye,
8. Leaping alight on either hand
9.
The iron lilies of the Strand.
10.
11. Like dragonflies, the hansoms* hover,
12. With jeweled eyes, to catch the lover;
13. The street gowns, of litter d swied doves.
The human moths about the light
17. Dash and cling close in dazed delight,
18. And burn and lạugh, the world and wife,
For this is London, this is life!
Upon your petals butterflies,
23. Aworld of weeping trodaen things,
Poor worms that have not eyes or wings.
25.
26.
From out corruption of their woe
aReading
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Question 3:
The poet expands his comparison between London and a flower by
citing English poems with plant themes.
depicting the people as different insects.
describing the floral scents of the city.
including details about nocturnal pests.