291. A Garden: Written after the Civil Wars by Andrew Marvell
b"A Marvell read by Classic Poetry Aloud:\\nhttp://www.classicpoetryaloud.com/\\n\\nGiving voice to the poetry of the past.\\n\\n---------------------------------------------\\n\\nA Garden: Written after the Civil Wars\\nby Andrew Marvell (1621 \\u2013 1678)\\n\\n\\nSee how the flowers, as at parade,\\nUnder their colours stand display'd:\\nEach regiment in order grows,\\nThat of the tulip, pink, and rose.\\nBut when the vigilant patrol\\nOf stars walks round about the pole,\\nTheir leaves, that to the stalks are curl'd,\\nSeem to their staves the ensigns furl'd.\\nThen in some flower's beloved hut\\nEach bee, as sentinel, is shut,\\nAnd sleeps so too; but if once stirr'd,\\nShe runs you through, nor asks the word.\\nO thou, that dear and happy Isle,\\nThe garden of the world erewhile,\\nThou Paradise of the four seas\\nWhich Heaven planted us to please,\\nBut, to exclude the world, did guard\\nWith wat'ry if not flaming sword;\\nWhat luckless apple did we taste\\nTo make us mortal and thee waste!\\nUnhappy! shall we never more\\nThat sweet militia restore,\\nWhen gardens only had their towers,\\nAnd all the garrisons were flowers;\\nWhen roses only arms might bear,\\nAnd men did rosy garlands wear?\\n\\n\\nFor hundreds more poetry readings, visit the Classic Poetry Aloud index.\\n\\nReading \\xa9 Classic Poetry Aloud 2008"