THE VENUS OF MILO <br />What art thou? Woman? Goddess? Aphrodite? <br />Yet never such as thou from the cold foam <br />Of ocean, nor from cloudy heaven might come, <br />Who wast begotten on her bridal night <br />In passionate Earth's womb by Man's delight, <br />When Man was young. I cannot trace in thee <br />Time's handiwork. Say, rather, where is he <br />For whom thy face was red which is so white? <br />Thou standest ravished, broken, and thy face <br />Is writ with ancient passions. Thou art dumb <br />To my new love. Yet, whatsoe'er of good, <br />Of crime, of pride, of passion, or of grace <br />In woman is, thou, woman, hast in sum. <br />Earth's archetypal Eve. All Womanhood.<br /><br />Wilfrid Scawen Blunt<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-love-sonnets-of-proteus-part-iv-vita-nova-cii/
