RSW's Diary Comments

None.

Privately owned.

A photograph of the back of the illumination credit.

A sketch of Christina Rossetti

RSW made the illumination based on the first few lines of the following poem...

A Birthday

by Christina Rossetti

My heart is like a singing bird
      Whose nest is in a watered shoot;
My heart is like an apple tree
      Whose boughs are bent with thick set fruit.
My heart is like a rainbow shell
      That paddles in a halcyon sea;
My heart is gladder than all these
      Because my love is come to me.
Raise me the dais of silk and down;
      Hang it with vair and purple dyes;
Carve it in doves and pomergranates,
      And peacocks with a hundred eyes;
Work it in gold and silver grapes,
      In leaves and silver fleur-de-lys;
Because the birthday of my life
      Is come, my love is come to me.

For more information about poet Christina Rossetti please CLICK HERE