To make an end of all this strife, No longer time for to sustain, But now with death to change the life Of him that lives always in pain; Despair such power hath in his hand, That helpeth most I know certain May not withstand. May not withstand that is elect By fortune's most extremity; But all in worth to be except Withouten law or liberty; What vaileth then unto my thought? If right can have no remedy, There vaileth naught. There vaileth naught, but all in vain; The fault thereof may none amend But only death, for to constrain This spiteful hap to have an end: So great disdain doth me provoke That dread of death cannot defend This deadly stroke. This deadly stroke, whereby shall cease The harbored sighs within my heart, And for the gift of this release My hand in haste shall play his part, To do this cure against his kind, For change of life from long desert To place assigned. To place assigned forevermore, Now by constraint I do agree To loose the bond of my restore, Wherein is bound my liberty; Death and despair doth undertake From all mishap now hardily This end to make. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...GREEN RIVER by WILLIAM CULLEN BRYANT EPISTLE TO MR. MURRAY by GEORGE GORDON BYRON THE RIDE-BY-NIGHTS by WALTER JOHN DE LA MARE THE MARTYR; INDICATIVE OF PASSION OF PEOPLES APRIL 15, 1865 by HERMAN MELVILLE LILIES: 13. 'LET US NEVER COMFORT EACH OTHER INTO SLEEP' by GEORGE BARLOW (1847-1913) WINTER WIZARDRY by LAURA S. BECK THE WANDERER: 3. IN ENGLAND: BABYLONIA by EDWARD ROBERT BULWER-LYTTON TO MISS FERRIER; ENCLOSING THE ELEGY ON SIR J. H. BLAIR by ROBERT BURNS |