Delphi Poetry Anthology: The World's Greatest Poems (Delphi Poets Series Book 50) (118 page)
Read Delphi Poetry Anthology: The World's Greatest Poems (Delphi Poets Series Book 50) Online
Authors: Homer,William Shakespeare
Anonymous
OVER the mountains
And over the waves,
Under the fountains
And under the graves;
Under floods that are deepest,
5
Which Neptune obey;
Over rocks that are steepest
Love will find out the way.
Where there is no place
For the glow-worm to lie;
10
Where there is no space
For receipt of a fly;
Where the midge dares not venture
Lest herself fast she lay;
If love come, he will enter
15
And soon find out his way.
You may esteem him
A child for his might;
Or you may deem him
A coward from his flight;
20
But if she whom love doth honour
Be conceal’d from the day,
Set a thousand guards upon her,
Love will find out the way.
Some think to lose him
25
By having him confined;
And some do suppose him,
Poor thing, to be blind;
But if ne’er so close ye wall him,
Do the best that you may,
30
Blind love, if so ye call him,
Will find out his way.
You may train the eagle
To stoop to your fist;
Or you may inveigle
35
The phoenix of the east;
The lioness, ye may move her
To give o’er her prey;
But you’ll ne’er stop a lover:
He will find out his way.
40
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
Anonymous
O WHAT a plague is love!
How shall I bear it?
She will inconstant prove,
I greatly fear it.
She so torments my mind
5
That my strength faileth,
And wavers with the wind
As a ship saileth.
Please her the best I may,
She loves still to gainsay;
10
Alack and well-a-day!
Phillada flouts me.
At the fair yesterday
She did pass by me;
She look’d another way
15
And would not spy me:
I woo’d her for to dine,
But could not get her;
Will had her to the wine —
He might entreat her.
20
With Daniel she did dance,
On me she look’d askance:
O thrice unhappy chance!
Phillada flouts me.
Fair maid, be not so coy,
25
Do not disdain me!
I am my mother’s joy:
Sweet, entertain me!
She’ll give me, when she dies,
All that is fitting:
30
Her poultry and her bees,
And her goose sitting,
A pair of mattrass beds,
And a bag full of shreds;
And yet, for all this guedes,
35
Phillada flouts me.
She hath a clout of mine
Wrought with blue coventry,
Which she keeps for a sign
Of my fidelity:
40
But i’ faith, if she flinch
She shall not wear it;
To Tib, my t’other wench,
I mean to bear it.
And yet it grieves my heart
45
So soon from her to part:
Death strike me with his dart!
Phillada flouts me.
Thou shalt eat crudded cream
All the year lasting,
50
And drink the crystal stream
Pleasant in tasting;
Whig and whey whilst thou lust,
And bramble-berries,
Pie-lid and pastry-crust,
55
Pears, plums, and cherries.
Thy raiment shall be thin,
Made of a weevil’s skin —
Yet all’s not worth a pin!
Phillada flouts me.
60
In the last month of May
I made her posies;
I heard her often say
That she loved roses.
Cowslips and gillyflowers
65
And the white lily
I brought to deck the bowers
For my sweet Philly.
But she did all disdain,
And threw them back again;
70
Therefore ’tis flat and plain
Phillada flouts me.
Fair maiden, have a care,
And in time take me;
I can have those as fair
75
If you forsake me:
For Doll the dairy-maid
Laugh’d at me lately,
And wanton Winifred
Favours me greatly.
80
One throws milk on my clothes,
T’other plays with my nose;
What wanting signs are those?
Phillada flouts me.
I cannot work nor sleep
85
At all in season:
Love wounds my heart so deep
Without all reason.
I ‘gin to pine away
In my love’s shadow.
90
Like as a fat beast may,
Penn’d in a meadow.
I shall be dead, I fear,
Within this thousand year:
And all for that my dear
95
Phillada flouts me.
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
Restoration and Eighteenth Century Poets
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
Earl of Rochester (1647–1680)
HERE lies our Sovereign Lord the King,
Whose word no man relies on,
Who never said a foolish thing,
Nor ever did a wise one.
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
Earl of Rochester (1647–1680)
As some brave Admiral, in former War
Depriv’d of force, yet prest with courage still,
Two Rival Fleets appearing from a far,
Crawls to the top of an Adjacent Hill,
From whence, with thoughts full of concern, he views
5
The wise and daring conduct of the Fight,
While each bold action to his mind renews
His present glory and his past delight;
From his fierce eyes flashes of Rage he throws,
As from black Clouds when Lightning breaks away,
10
Transported, thinks himself amidst his Foes,
And absent, yet enjoys the bloudy Day:
So, when my days of Impotence approach,
And I’m by Pox and Wine’s unhappy chance
Forc’d from the pleasing Billows of Debauch
15
On the Dull Shores of lazy Temperance;
My pains at least some respite shall afford
While I behold the Battels you maintain,
When Fleets of Glasses Sail about the Board,
From whose broadsides Volleys of Wit shall Rain.
20
Nor shall the sight of honorable Scars,
Which my too forward valor did procure,
Frighten new-listed Soldiers from the Wars;
Past joyes have more than pay’d what I endure.
Should hopeful youths, worth being drunk, prove nice,
25
And from their fair Inviters meanly shrink;
‘Twill please the Ghost of my departed Vice
If, at my counsel, they repent, and Drink.
Or should some cold complexion’d Sot,
With his Dull Morals, your bold Night-Alarms;
30
I’ll fire his bloud, by telling what I did
When I was strong, and able to bear Arms.
I’ll tell of Whores attack’d, their Lords at home;
Bauds Quarters beaten up, and Fortress won
Windows demolish’d, Watches overcome;
35
And handsome ills, by my contrivance, done.
Nor shall our Love-fits Cloris be forgot,
When each the well-look’d Linkboy strove t’enjoy;
And the best Kiss was the deciding Lot,
Whether the Boy Fuck’d you, or I the Boy.
40
With Tales like these, I will such thoughts inspire
As to important mischief shall incline;
I’ll make him long some Ancient Church to fire,
And fear no lewdness he’s call’d to by Wine.
Thus, Statesman-like, I’ll sawcily Impose,
45
And, safe from Action, valiantly Advise;
Shelter’d in impotence, urge you to blows:
And now, being good for nothing else, be Wise.
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
Earl of Rochester (1647–1680)
Naked she lay clasp’d in my longing Armes
I fill’d with Love and she all over Charmes
Both equally inspir’d with eager fire
Melting through kindness flameing in desire.
With Armes, Leggs, Lipps, close clinging to embrace
5
She clipps me to her Breasts and sucks me to her face.
Her nimble tongue (loves lesser lightning) plaied
Within my Mouth; and to my heart conveyd
Swift Orders, that I might prepare to throw
The all dissolving Thunderbolt beloe.
10
My fluttering soul, sprung with the pointed Kiss
Hangs hovering o’re her balmy brinks of bliss
But whilst her buisy hand would guide that part
Which shou’d convey my soul up to her heart
In liquid raptures I dissolve all o’re
15
Melt into sperm and spend at every pore.
A touch from any part of her had don’t
Her hand, her foot, her very look’s a Cunt.
Smileing she chides in a kind, murmring noise
And from her body wipes the clamy Joyes
20
When with a Thousand kisses wandring o’re
My panting bossome; is there then no more?
She cries; all this to Love, and Raptures due
Must we not pay a Debt to pleasure, too?
But I the most forlorn lost man alive
25
To shew my wish’d obedience vainly strive
I sigh alas! and Kiss, but cannot sw — ve swive, copulate
Eager desires Confound the first intent
30
Succeeding shame does more success prevent
And Rage at last Confirms me Impotent.
Even her fair hand which might bid heat return
To frozen Age; and make cold Hermitts burn
Apply’de to my Dead Cinder warms no more
Then fire to ashes could past flames Restore.
Trembling Confus’d Dispairing, limber,
35
A wishing weak, unmoving lump I ly.
This Dart of Love whose peircing point oft Try’de
With Virgin blood Ten Thowsand Mayds have dy’de
Which Nature still Directed with such Art
That it through every Cunt reach’t every heart
40
Stiffly Resolv’d t’would Carelesly invade
Woman, nor Man, nor ought its fury stayd
Where ere it pierc’d a Cunt it found or made
Now languid lies in this unhappy hour
Shrunk up and sappless like a wither’d flower.
45
Thou Treacherous base Deserter of my Flame
False to my passion fatall to my Fame
Through what mistaken Magick doest thou prove
So true to Lewdness, so untrue to Love?
What Oyster, Cynder, Beggar, Common whore
50
Did’st thou ere fayle in all thy life before?
When Vice, Disease, and scandall lead the way
With what officious hast doest thou obey
Like a rude Roareing Hector in the streets
Who scuffles Cuffs and Justles all he meets
55
But if his King or Countrey claime his Ayde
The Rakehell villain shrinks and hides his head.
Even so thy brutall vallour is display’d,
Break’st every stew, doest each smale whore invade,
But when great Love the onsett does Command
60
Base Recreant to thy Prince thou durst not stand.
Worst part of me and henceforth hated most,
Through all the Town a Common Fucking Post,
On whom each Whore Relieves her tingling Cunt
As Hoggs on Gates doe rubb themselves and grunt,
65
Mayest thou to Ravenous Shankers be a prey
Or in Consumeing weepings wast away
May strangury and stone thy daies attend
70
Mayest thou nere piss who didst Refuse to spend
When all my Joyes did on false Thee depend.
And may Ten Thousand abler Pricks agree
To doe the wrong’d Corinna Right for Thee.
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order