WHEN this fly liv'd, she us'd to play In the sunshine all the day; Till, coming near my Celia's sight, She found a new and unknown light, So full of glory as it made The noonday sun a gloomy shade. Then this amorous fly became My rival, and did court my flame; She did from hand to bosom skip, And from her breath, her cheek, and lip, Suck'd all the incense and the spice, And grew a bird of paradise. At last into her eye she flew, There scorch'd in flames and drown'd in dew, Like Phaëton from the sun's sphere, She fell, and with her dropp'd a tear, Of which a pearl was straight compos'd, Wherein her ashes lie enclos'd. Thus she receiv'd from Celia's eye Funeral, flame, tomb, obsequy. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE BLISSFUL DAY by ROBERT BURNS JOHN MOULDY by WALTER JOHN DE LA MARE THE AMERICAN FLAG by JOSEPH RODMAN DRAKE SONNETS FOR PICTURES: A VENETIAN PASTORAL (BY GIOGIONE) by DANTE GABRIEL ROSSETTI A FORSAKEN GARDEN by ALGERNON CHARLES SWINBURNE AGAMEMNON: CHORUS by AESCHYLUS A LULLABY by THOMALLY HOLBECH ANDERSON |