Penny Dreadfuls, 1812 · page 34 of 258
Psyche, and other poems — page 34: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Page 16 of a Victorian Penny Dreadful This is a page of running verse text from what appears to be a narrative poem. The passage depicts a supernatural or mythological scene in which an unseen figure (apparently Cupid, based on references to darts and divine attributes) wounds a sleeping woman identified as "Psyche" with a magical dart. The text describes how she awakens, how the figure accidentally wounds himself on his own dart, and how Psyche subsequently declines into melancholy—losing her vitality, avoiding crowds, and eventually confessing her secret sorrow to her mother. The verse employs romantic and sensational language typical of Victorian popular literature.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
ss 16 Nor yet content, he from his quiver drew, Sharpened with skill divine, a shining dart: No need had he for bow, since thus too true His hand, might wound her all-exposed heart ; * Yet her fair side he touched with gentlest art, And half relenting on her beauties gazed ; Just then awaking with a sudden start Her opening eye in humid lustre blazed, Unseen he still remained, enchanted and amazed. * The dart which in his hand now trembling stood, As o’er the couch he bent with ravished eye, Drew with its daring point celestial blood” From his smooth neck’s unblemished ivory : Heedless of this, but with a pitying sigh » ‘The evil done now anxious to repair, Te shed in haste the balmy drops of joy O’er all the silky ringlets of her hair; ~ Then stretched his plumes divine, and breathed celestial air. ? } Unhappy Psyche! soon the latent wound The fading roses of her cheek confess, Her eyes bright beams, in swimming sorrows drowned, Sparkle no more with life and happiness Her parents fond exulting heart to bless ; She shuns adoring crowds, and seeks to hide The pining sorrows which her soul oppress, » Till to her mother’s tears no more denied, ~ i The secret grief she owns, for which she lingering sighed. 4) . Comichbooks;com