Caelica, when I was from your presence bound, At first goodwill both sorrowed and repined, Love, faith, and nature felt restraint a wound, Honor itself to kindness yet inclined; Your vows one way with your desires did go, Self-pity then in you did pity me, Yea, sex did scorn to be imprisoned so, But fire goes out for lack of vent we see. For when with time desire had made a truce, I only was exempt, the world left free, Yet what win you by bringing change in use, But to make current infidelity? Caelica, you say you love me, but you fear, Then hide me in your heart, and keep me there. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...A SMILE AS SMALL AS MINE by EMILY DICKINSON THE CONFLICT OF CONVICTIONS by HERMAN MELVILLE HIC JACET by LOUISE CHANDLER MOULTON FRIENDSHIP [OR, THE TRUE FRIEND] by WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE THE BUOY-BELL by CHARLES TENNYSON TURNER MYRMIDONES: THE WOUNDED EAGLE by AESCHYLUS |