Penny Dreadfuls, 1812 · page 239 of 258
Psyche, and other poems — page 239: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Page 221 This is a **poetry page** from what appears to be a Victorian-era publication (dated May 1809). The poem, titled "THE LILLY," uses extended metaphor to describe a lily bulb's hidden beauty beneath an ugly, unimpressive exterior. The speaker addresses the withered root, acknowledging its apparent lack of grace while celebrating the precious flower concealed within—one that will bloom when spring arrives. The verse emphasizes patience and faith in nature's transformation, suggesting that inner loveliness may be invisible to the careless eye but will eventually reveal itself. The poem's romantic, sentimental tone is characteristic of early-nineteenth-century popular verse.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
= , THE LILLY. May, 1809. OF GEER S | ee ‘4 How withered, perished seems the form . Of yon obscure unsightly root! Yet from the blight of wintry storm, It hides secure the precious fruit. The careless eye can find no grace, No beauty in the scaly folds, Nor see within the dark embrace What latent loveliness it holds. Yet in that bulb, those sapless scales, The lily wraps her silver vest, *Till vernal suns and vernal gales Shall kiss once more her fragrant breast. “ Yes, hide beneath the mouldering heap The undelighting slighted thing ; There in the cold earth buried deep, In silence let it wait the spring. . ConnicloookSscomn