The Laws of Beauty

The Laws of Beauty written by William Henry Davies

From "Love Poems" (1935)

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The laws of Beauty and its patterns
Must all conform to blood and race;
A nose that's tilted, round and small,
Is not for any Jewish face.

To say that she is tall and plump
Would be a blemish in Japan;
A foot coercion makes no smaller
Would never please a Chinaman.

To say her skin's as white as foam,
With sea-blue eyes, so soft and mellow,
Would please no race whose beauties must,
Like all their gods, be brown or yellow.

But let these laws be what they will,
And differ with our blood and race;
Come, fair or dark; come, white or brown —
Where shall I find a sweeter face?

This work is in the public domain in countries where the copyright term is the author's life plus 70 years or less.