Chorus of Youths and Virgins poem – Alexander Pope

A poem by Alexander Pope (1688-1744) , the greatest English poet of “Augustan” or Georgian period

Semichorus.

Oh Tyrant Love! hast thou possest

The prudent, learn’d, and virtuous breast?

Wisdom and wit in vain reclaim,

And Arts but soften us to feel thy flame.

Love, soft intruder, enters here,

But ent’ring learns to be sincere.

Marcus with blushes owns he loves,

And Brutus tenderly reproves.

Why, Virtue, dost thou blame desire,

Which Nature has imprest?

Why, Nature, dost thou soonest fire

The mild and gen’rous breast?

Chorus.

Love’s purer flames the Gods approve;

The Gods and Brutus bent to love:

Brutus for absent Portia sighs,

And sterner Cassius melts at Junia’s eyes.

What is loose love? a transient gust,

Spent in a sudden storm of lust,

A vapour fed from wild desire,

A wand’ring, self-consuming fire,

But Hymen’s kinder flames unite;

And burn for ever one;

Chaste as cold Cynthia’s virgin light,

Productive as the Sun.

Semichorus.

Oh source of ev’ry social tie,

United wish, and mutual joy!

What various joys on one attend,

As son, as father, brother husband, friend?

Whether his hoary sire he spies,

While thousand grateful thoughts arise;

Or meets his spouse’s fonder eye;

Or views his smiling progeny;

What tender passions take their turns,

What home-felt raptures move?

His heart now melts, now leaps, now burns,

With rev’rence, hope, and love.

Chorus.

Hence guilty joys, distastes, surmises,

Hence false tears, deceits, disguises,

Dangers, doubts, delays, surprises;

Fires that scorch, yet dare not shine

Purest love’s unwasting treasure,

Constant faith, fair hope, long leisure,

Days of ease, and nights of pleasure;

Sacred Hymen! these are thine.

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Poems in English 

• The Messiah : A Sacred Eclogue poem – Alexander Pope poems | Poetry Monster by Poetry In English
• The Looking-Glass. : on Mrs. Pulteney poem – Alexander Pope poems | Poetry Monster by Poetry In English
• The Iliad: Book VI (excerpt) poem – Alexander Pope poems | Poetry Monster by Poetry In English
• The Fable of Dryope – Ovid’s Metamorphoses Book 9, [v. 324-393] poem – Alexander Pope poems | Poetry Monster by Poetry In English
• The Dying Christian to His Soul poem – Alexander Pope poems | Poetry Monster by Poetry In English
• The Dunciad: Book IV poem – Alexander Pope poems | Poetry Monster by Poetry In English
• The Dunciad: Book III. poem – Alexander Pope poems | Poetry Monster by Poetry In English
• The Dunciad: Book II. poem – Alexander Pope poems | Poetry Monster by Poetry In English
• The Dunciad: Book I. poem – Alexander Pope poems | Poetry Monster by Poetry In English
• The Challenge: A Court Ballad poem – Alexander Pope poems | Poetry Monster by Poetry In English
• The Basset-Table : An Eclogue poem – Alexander Pope poems | Poetry Monster by Poetry In English
• Summer poem – Alexander Pope poems | Poetry Monster by Poetry In English
• Summer – The Second Pastoral; or Alexis poem – Alexander Pope poems | Poetry Monster by Poetry In English
• Summer – The Second Pastoral; or Alexis poem – Alexander Pope poems | Poetry Monster by Poetry In English
• Spring – The First Pastoral ; or Damon poem – Alexander Pope poems | Poetry Monster by Poetry In English
• Sound And Sense poem – Alexander Pope poems | Poetry Monster by Poetry In English
• Song, by a Person of Quality poem – Alexander Pope poems | Poetry Monster by Poetry In English
• Solitude: An Ode poem – Alexander Pope poems | Poetry Monster by Poetry In English
• Solitude poem – Alexander Pope poems | Poetry Monster by Poetry In English
• Sappho to Phaon (Ovid Heroid XV) poem – Alexander Pope poems | Poetry Monster by Poetry In English

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