Change
LOVE in her sunny eyes does basking play; Love walks the pleasant mazes of her hair; Love does on both her lips for ever stray And sows and reaps a thousand kisses there. In all her outward parts Love’s always seen; But, oh, He never went within. Within Love’s foes, his greatest foes abide, […]
Beauty
LIBERAL Nature did dispence To all things Arms for their defence; And some she arms with sin’ewy force, And some with swiftness in the course; Some with hard Hoofs, or forked claws, And some with Horns, or tusked jaws. And some with Scales, and some with Wings, And some with Teeth, and some with […]
Bathing River
The fish around her crowded, as they do To the false light that treacherous fisher shew, And all with as much ease might taken be, As she at first took me; For ne’er did light so clear Among the waves appear, Though every night the sun himself set there. Why to mute fish shouldst […]
Bathing In The River
The fish around her crowded, as they do To the false light that treacherous fisher shew, And all with as much ease might taken be, As she at first took me; For ne’er did light so clear Among the waves appear, Though every night the sun himself set there. Why to mute fish shouldst […]
Answer Copy Verses Sent Me Jersey
As to a northern people (whom the sun Uses just as the Romish church has done Her prophane laity, and does assign Bread only both to serve for bread and wine) A rich Canary fleet welcome arrives; Such comfort to us here your letter gives, Fraught with brisk racy verses; in which we The […]
Anacreontics The Swallow
FOOLISH prater, what dost thou So early at my window do? Cruel bird, thou’st ta’en away A dream out of my arms to-day; A dream that ne’er must equall’d be By all that waking eyes may see. Thou this damage to repair Nothing half so sweet and fair, Nothing half so good, canst bring, […]
Anacreontics The Epicure
UNDERNEATH this myrtle shade, On flowerly beds supinely laid, With odorous oils my head o’erflowing, And around it roses growing, What should I do but drink away The heat and troubles of the day? In this more than kingly state Love himself on me shall wait. Fill to me, Love! nay, fill it up! […]
Anacreontics Drinking
THE thirsty earth soaks up the rain, And drinks and gapes for drink again; The plants suck in the earth, and are With constant drinking fresh and fair; The sea itself (which one would think Should have but little need of drink) Drinks twice ten thousand rivers up, So fill’d that they o’erflow the […]
An Answer To A Copy Of Verses Sent Me To Jersey
As to a northern people (whom the sun Uses just as the Romish church has done Her prophane laity, and does assign Bread only both to serve for bread and wine) A rich Canary fleet welcome arrives; Such comfort to us here your letter gives, Fraught with brisk racy verses; in which we The […]
Against Hope
HOPE, whose weak Being ruin’d is, Alike if it succeed, and if it miss ; Whom Good or Ill does equally confound, And both the Horns of Fates Dilemma wound. Vain shadow! which dost vanish quite, Both at full Noon, and perfect Night ! The Stars have not a possibility Of blessing Thee ; […]
Against Fruition
No; thou’rt a fool, I’ll swear, if e’er thou grant; Much of my veneration thou must want, When once thy kindness puts my ignorance out, For a learn’d age is always least devout. Keep still thy distance; for at once to me Goddess and woman too thou canst not be; Thou’rt queen of all […]
On the Danger of Procrastination by Abraham Cowley
THE DANGER OF PROCRASTINATION A letter to Mr. S. L. I am glad that you approve and applaud my design of withdrawing myself from all tumult and business of the world and consecrating the little rest of my time to those studies to which nature had so motherly inclined me, and from which fortune like a step-mother has so […]
ON THE SHORTNESS OF LIFE AND UNCERTAINTY OF RICHES by Abraham Cowley
THE SHORTNESS OF LIFE AND UNCERTAINTY OF RICHES. If you should see a man who were to cross from Dover to Calais, run about very busy and solicitous, and trouble himself many weeks before in making provisions for the voyage, would you commend him for a cautious and discreet person, or laugh at him for a […]
CLAUDIAN’S OLD MAN OF VERONA by Abraham Cowley
CLAUDIAN’S OLD MAN OF VERONA. Happy the man who his whole time doth bound Within the enclosure of his little ground. Happy the man whom the same humble place (The hereditary cottage of his race) From his first rising infancy has known, And by degrees sees gently bending down, With natural propension to that earth Which […]
THE DANGERS OF AN HONEST MAN IN MUCH COMPANY by Abraham Cowley
THE DANGERS OF AN HONEST MAN IN MUCH COMPANY. If twenty thousand naked Americans were not able to resist the assaults of but twenty well-armed Spaniards, I see little possibility for one honest man to defend himself against twenty thousand knaves, who are all furnished cap-à-pie with the defensive arms of worldly prudence, and the offensive, too, of […]
The Garden by Abraham Cowley
THE GARDEN To J. Evelyn, Esquire. I never had any other desire so strong, and so like to covetousness, as that one which I have had always, that I might be master at last of a small house and large garden, with very moderate conveniences joined to them, and there dedicate the remainder of my life only to the […]
O fortunatus nimium, etc., a translation out of Virgil by Abraham Cowley
O fortunatus nimium, etc., a translation out of Virgil by Abraham Cowley Continued from the Essay on Agriculture by Abraham Cowley Virg. Georg. O fortunatus nimium, etc. A TRANSLATION OUT OF VIRGIL. Oh happy (if his happiness he knows) The country swain, on whom kind Heaven bestows At home all riches that wise Nature needs; Whom the just […]
The Essay on Agriculture by Abraham Cowley
OF AGRICULTURE. The first wish of Virgil (as you will find anon by his verses), was to be a good philosopher; the second, a good husbandman; and God (whom he seemed to understand better than most of the most learned heathens) dealt with him just as he did with Solomon: because he prayed for wisdom in […]
Obscurity, the Essay and Poems on Obscurity by Abraham Cowley
OF OBSCURITY. Nam neque divitibus contingunt gaudia solis, Nec vixit male, qui natus moriensque fefellit. God made not pleasures only for the rich, Nor have those men without their share too lived, Who both in life and death the world deceived. This seems a strange sentence thus literally translated, and looks as if it were in vindication […]
The Essay on Liberty by Abraham Cowley
OF SOLITUDE. “Nunquam minus solus, quam cum solis,” is now become a very vulgar saying. Every man and almost every boy for these seventeen hundred years has had it in his mouth. But it was at first spoken by the excellent Scipio, who was without question a most worthy, most happy, and the greatest of all […]
The Essay on Liberty by Abraham Cowley
OF LIBERTY The liberty of a people consists in being governed by laws which they have made themselves, under whatsoever form it be of government; the liberty of a private man in being master of his own time and actions, as far as may consist with the laws of God and of his country. Of this […]
Upon Her Eyes by Robert Herrick
Upon Her Eyes by Robert Herrick Clear are her eyes, Like purest skies; Discovering from thence A baby there That turns each sphere, Like an Intelligence. ————— The End And that’s the End of the Poem © Poetry Monster, 2021. Poems by topic and subject. Poetry Monster — the ultimate repository of world poetry. Poetry Monster […]
The Hock-cart, or Harvest Home by Robert Herrick
The Hock-cart, or Harvest Home by Robert Herrick To the Right Honourable Mildmay, Earl of Westmoreland Come, sons of summer, by whose toil We are the lords of wine and oil; By whose tough labours, and rough hands, We rip up first, then reap our lands. Crown’d with the ears of corn, now come, And […]
To Youth by Robert Herrick
To Youth by Robert Herrick Drink wine, and live here blitheful while ye may; The morrow’s life too late is; Live to-day. ————— The End And that’s the End of the Poem © Poetry Monster, 2021. Poems by topic and subject. Poetry Monster — the ultimate repository of world poetry. Poetry Monster — the multilingual library […]
SOFT MUSIC by Robert Herrick
SOFT MUSIC by Robert Herrick The mellow touch of music most doth wound The soul, when it doth rather sigh, than sound. ————— The End And that’s the End of the Poem © Poetry Monster, 2021. Poems by topic and subject. Poetry Monster — the ultimate repository of world poetry. Poetry Monster — the multilingual library […]
The Bride-Cake by Robert Herrick
The Bride-Cake by Robert Herrick This day, my Julia, thou must make For Mistress Bride the wedding-cake: Knead but the dough, and it will be To paste of almonds turn’d by thee; Or kiss it thou but once or twice, And for the bride-cake there’ll be spice. ————— The End And that’s the End of […]
The Kiss: A Dialogue by Robert Herrick
The Kiss: A Dialogue by Robert Herrick 1 Among thy fancies, tell me this, What is the thing we call a kiss? 2 I shall resolve ye what it is:– It is a creature born and bred Between the lips, all cherry-red, By love and warm desires fed,– CHOR. And makes more soft the bridal […]
His Poetry His Pillar by Robert Herrick
His Poetry His Pillar by Robert Herrick Only a little more I have to write: Then I’ll give o’er, And bid the world good-night. ‘Tis but a flying minute, That I must stay, Or linger in it: And then I must away. O Time, that cut’st down all, And scarce leav’st here Memorial Of any […]
His Mistress to Him at his Farewell by Robert Herrick
His Mistress to Him at his Farewell by Robert Herrick You may vow I’ll not forget To pay the debt Which to thy memory stands as due As faith can seal it you. –Take then tribute of my tears; So long as I have fears To prompt me, I shall ever Languish and look, but […]
His Loss by Robert Herrick
His Loss by Robert Herrick All has been plunder’d from me but my wit: Fortune herself can lay no claim to it. ————— The End And that’s the End of the Poem © Poetry Monster, 2021. Poems by topic and subject. Poetry Monster — the ultimate repository of world poetry. Poetry Monster — the multilingual library […]
His Last Request to Julia by Robert Herrick
His Last Request to Julia by Robert Herrick I have been wanton, and too bold, I fear, To chafe o’er-much the virgin’s cheek or ear;– Beg for my pardon, Julia! he doth win Grace with the gods who’s sorry for his sin. That done, my Julia, dearest Julia, come, And go with me to chuse […]
Delight in Disorder by Robert Herrick
Delight in Disorder by Robert Herrick A sweet disorder in the dress Kindles in clothes a wantonness; A lawn about the shoulders thrown Into a fine distraction; An erring lace, which here and there Enthrals the crimson stomacher; A cuff neglectful, and thereby Ribbons to flow confusedly; A winning wave, deserving note, In the tempestuous […]
An Ode of the Birth of our Saviour by Robert Herrick
In numbers, and but these few, I sing thy birth, oh JESU! Thou pretty Baby, born here, With sup’rabundant scorn here; Who for thy princely port here, Hadst for thy place Of birth, a base Out-stable for thy court here. Instead of neat enclosures Of interwoven osiers; Instead of fragrant posies Of daffadils and roses, […]
AN ODE FOR BEN JONSON by Robert Herrick
AN ODE FOR BEN JONSON by Robert Herrick Ah Ben! Say how or when Shall we, thy guests, Meet at those lyric feasts, Made at the Sun, The Dog, the Triple Tun; Where we such clusters had, As made us nobly wild, not mad? And yet each verse of thine Out-did the meat, out-did the […]
AN HYMN TO THE MUSES by Robert Herrick
AN HYMN TO THE MUSES by Robert Herrick Honour to you who sit Near to the well of wit, And drink your fill of it! Glory and worship be To you, sweet Maids, thrice three, Who still inspire me; And teach me how to sing Unto the lyric string, My measures ravishing! Then, while I […]
An Epitaph Upon A Virgin by Robert Herrick
An Epitaph Upon A Virgin by Robert Herrick Here a solemn fast we keep, While all beauty lies asleep; Hushed be all things, no noise here, But the toning of a tear, Or the sigh of such as bring Cowslips for her covering. ————— The End And that’s the End of the Poem © Poetry Monster, […]
AN EPITAPH UPON A CHILD by Robert Herrick
AN EPITAPH UPON A CHILD by Robert Herrick Virgins promised when I died, That they would each primrose-tide Duly, morn and evening, come, And with flowers dress my tomb. –Having promised, pay your debts Maids, and here strew violets. ————— The End And that’s the End of the Poem © Poetry Monster, 2021. Poems by topic […]
AMBITION by Robert Herrick
AMBITION by Robert Herrick In man, ambition is the common’st thing; Each one by nature loves to be a king. ————— The End And that’s the End of the Poem © Poetry Monster, 2021. Poems by topic and subject. Poetry Monster — the ultimate repository of world poetry. Poetry Monster — the multilingual library of poetic […]
ALL THINGS DECAY AND DIE by Robert Herrick
ALL THINGS DECAY AND DIE by Robert Herrick All things decay with time: The forest sees The growth and down-fall of her aged trees; That timber tall, which three-score lustres stood The proud dictator of the state-like wood, I mean the sovereign of all plants, the oak, Droops, dies, and falls without the cleaver’s stroke. […]
A VOW TO VENUS by Robert Herrick
A VOW TO VENUS by Robert Herrick Happily I had a sight Of my dearest dear last night; Make her this day smile on me, And I’ll roses give to thee! ————— The End And that’s the End of the Poem © Poetry Monster, 2021. Poems by topic and subject. Poetry Monster — the ultimate repository […]