Accuse me not, beseech thee, that I wear
Too calm and sad a face in front of thine;
For we two look two ways, and cannot shine
With the same sunlight on our brow and hair.
On me thou lookest with no doubting care,
As on a bee in a crystalline;
Since sorrow hath shut me safe in love's divine
And to spread wing and fly in the outer air
Were most impossible failure, if I strove
To fail so. But I look on thee--on thee--
Beholding, besides love, the end of love,
Hearing oblivion beyond memory;
As one who sits and gazes from above,
Over the rivers to the bitter sea.
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Comments2Just reread "Sonnet XV: Accuse Me Not" which I remember from my younger days. It's a beautifully layered piece, full of emotional depth and complexity. The imagery used is so poignant and it really sums up the complexities of love and relationships in such a dense yet beautiful manner. This sonnet never fails to move me. Browning's work really is timeless!
Man, "For we two look two ways, and cannot shine, With the same sunlight on our brow and hair" really hits different, huh?