A Poem for Valentine's Day
With Valentine's Day being celebrated by lovers around the world this week, why not take a moment for some inspiration from one of our greatest and most romantic poets?
In his short life John Keats (1795-1821) wrote some of the most beautiful and sensual poetry that we know, including hundreds of letters and poems to the great love of his life Fanny Brawne.
Their time together, however, was cut tragically short. Soon after having met in the Autumn of 1818, Keats was diagnosed with tuberculosis. Moving south away from the cold English winter, Keats died in Rome in 1821 at the early age of 25. After leaving London, Keats did not see Brawne again and asked to be buried with a lock of her hair and her unopened letters that had been too painful for him to read.
This poem by Keats from an unidentified opera was published some time after his death and is filled full of longing for a lost love, who Keats symbolically compares to the innocence and purity of a perfect white pearl.
Asleep! O Sleep A Little While, White Pearl!And let me kneel, and let me pray to thee,And let me call Heaven’s blessing on thine eyes,And let me breathe into the happy air,That doth enfold and touch thee all about,Vows of my slavery, my giving up,My sudden adoration, my great love! John Keats, Extracts from an Opera, 1818
Our perfect gift for Valentine's Day would be this beautiful Akoya Pearl and Diamond Pendant, which features a classic round, white Akoya pearl with a sparkling diamond set in 18 carat white gold.
An understated and elegant piece of jewellery, there could be few simpler ways to surprise and celebrate your love.
Image Credits:
Cherry Blossom flowers, with thanks to Paul Hartley