To My Mother

Listen to me, child ... I have been kind and indulgent ... I have done for
you what I have never done for any one before ... I have given up all my
secrets to you.... I like you, I feel pity for your youth and innocence and
I am speaking to you as a mother.... Listen to me, my child, and believe
me; relinquish your quest, go no further, do not tempt fate, do not open
that door....

About Algernon Charles Swinburne

Victorian English poet known for his lyrical verse, classical themes, and controversial subject matter. A major figure of the Aesthetic movement.

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