Doves and pomegranates

Compiler's Note The only poems of Christina Rossetti now in print--apart from those reproduced in anthologies--are the rhymes for young children, Sing-Song, first published in 1872. Some of these are included in my selection (on pp. 28, 29, 30, 31, 38, 44, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58 and 72) and I have given them titles, although originally published without. The text of the poems has been taken from the definitive edition of the poet's work: The Poetical Works of Christina Georgina Rossetti, with Memoir and Notes by Michael Rossetti, published in 1904. Where I have included extracts from longer poems, as on pp. 22, 24, 42, 47, 61, 63 and 81, I have given titles to the extracts, while indicating the title of the whole poem at the end. Where consecutive poems happen to have the same titles (as on pp. 73, 74, 84 and 85) I have replaced these with first-line titles. D.P. October, 1969