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Classic and Contemporary Poetry


SONNET (6) by CHARLES COTTON

Poet Analysis

First Line: CHLORIS, WHILST THOU AND I WERE FREE
Last Line: HAD THOU, OR I, OR BOTH BEEN WISE.
Subject(s): LOVE;

CHLORIS, whilst thou and I were free,
Wedded to nought but liberty,
How sweetly happy did we live,
How free to promise, free to give?

Then, Monarchs of ourselves, we might
Love here, or there, to change delight,
And ti'd to none, with all dispense,
Paying each Love its recompense.

But in that happy freedom, we
Were so improvidently free,
To give away our liberties;

And now in fruitful sorrow pine
At what we are, what might have been,
Had thou, or I, or both been wise.



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