The Laboratory
I.
Now that I, tying thy glass mask tightly, May gaze thro' these faint smokes curling whitely, As thou pliest thy trade in this devil's-smithy--- Which is the poison to poison her, prithee? II. He is with her, and they know that I know Where they are, what they do: they believe my tears flow While they laugh, laugh at me, at me fled to the drear Empty church, to pray God in, for them!---I am here. III Grind away, moisten and mash up thy paste, Pound at thy powder,---I am not in haste! Better sit thus, and observe thy strange things, Than go where men wait me and dance at the King's. IV That in the mortar---you call it a gum? Ah, the brave tree whence such gold oozings come! And yonder soft phial, the exquisite blue, Sure to taste sweetly,---is that poison too? V Had I but all of them, thee and thy treasures, What a wild crowd of invisible pleasures! To carry pure death in an earring, a casket, A signet, a fan-mount, a filigree basket! VI Soon, at the King's, a mere lozenge to give, And Pauline should have just thirty minutes to live! But to light a pastile, and Elise, with her head And her breast and her arms and her hands, should drop dead! VII Quick---is it finished? The colour's too grim! Why not soft like the phial's, enticing and dim? Let it brighten her drink, let her turn it and stir, And try it and taste, ere she fix and prefer! VIII What a drop! She's not little, no minion like me! That's why she ensnared him: this never will free The soul from those masculine eyes,---Say, ``no!'' To that pulse's magnificent come-and-go. IX For only last night, as they whispered, I brought My own eyes to bear on her so, that I thought Could I keep them one half minute fixed, she would fall Shrivelled; she fell not; yet this does it all! X Not that I bid you spare her the pain; Let death be felt and the proof remain: Brand, burn up, bite into its grace--- He is sure to remember her dying face! XI Is it done? Take my mask off! Nay, be not morose; It kills her, and this prevents seeing it close; The delicate droplet, my whole fortune's fee! If it hurts her, beside, can it ever hurt me? XII Now, take all my jewels, gorge gold to your fill, You may kiss me, old man, on my mouth if you will! But brush this dust off me, lest horror it brings Ere I know it---next moment I dance at the King's! |
I.
Numbered stanzas (shows passing of time) Devils Smithee -> where the 'devil' makes iron Person (NOW that I...) I am tying a glass mark to my face, (protect eyes from the fumes) They can see smoke, they are doing something to II. He is cheating with her, they know she knows yet they still do it. They think she is crying and is going to church but she is in the lab. [this stanza includes 'enjambment': when a line crosses over] III. Do what they are doing. 'Grind' talking to the poisoner, better for her to watch and see what he does. She prefers looking at the man creating an evil potion than dance with men. IV She describes what the poison should look like: 'exhistuite' --> how the poison s described --> wants it to taster sweet V Shes watching the man, if i had all the poison 'treasures' the poison is invisible pleasure, you want to see it. --> she is going to get revenge -signet: stamp ring -fan: pen -filigree basket: intricate stone VI She is having a fantasy that she goes to the court and is fantasying about going to the court and killing the 3 women there. VII Talking to the poisoner, wants it to have an attractive colour. The poison should be so sweet that she wants to have it. VIII The girl is fat [she trapped her man as she is like an animal] she is telling the poisoner that she will need more poison to kill the woman as the woman is so fat, 'Minion' she is slender, the mistress is fat. IX Her lover and mistress were whispering and so she was giving them dirty looks. 'If only looks could kill' X To the poisoner: it has to be excruciating, wants it to be painful. She wants to see from their face, how much it hurts. Wants it to be left as a mark on their face. Wants her man to rememebr his mistresses in a screwed up way. XI To the poisoner: Don't be sad, don't be deathly. She wants to take the mask of so she can see it clearly she spent all her money on it It can never hurt her XII Take all of her money and jewels. She is going to the Kings to poison and kill the people. |