Thou stately stream that with the swelling tide 'Gainst London walls incessantly dost beat, Thou Thames, I say, where barge and boat doth ride, And snow-white swans do fish for needful meat: When so my love, of force or pleasure, shall Flit on thy flood as custom is to do, Seek not with dread her courage to appall, But calm thy tide, and smoothly let it go, As she may joy, arrived to siker shore, To pass the pleasant stream she did before. To welter up and surge in wrathful wise, As did the flood where Helle drenched was Would but procure defame of thee to rise; Wherefore let all such ruthless rigor pass. So wish I that thou may'st with bending side Have power for aye in wonted gult to glide. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...EPITAPH FOR SIR PHILIP SIDNEY, AT ST. PAUL'S WITHOUT A MONUMENT ... by EDWARD HERBERT A LIFE'S PARALLELS by CHRISTINA GEORGINA ROSSETTI CORRESPONDENCES by CHARLES BAUDELAIRE THE BRAWL by WILLIAM ROSE BENET JAMES BARR AMES by HARRY RANDOLPH BLYTHE WHEN I WAS A REFUGEE by BEATRICE JEAN K. BOROFF VALEDICTORY; THE SCHOLAR TO THE ASHES OF HIS LIBRARY by CHARLES WILLIAM BRODRIBB |