O love, thou mortal sphere of powers divine, The paradise of nature in perfection, What makes thee thus thy kingdom undermine, Veiling thy glories under woe's reflection? Tyranny counsel out of fear doth borrow To think her kingdom safe in fear and sorrow. If I by nature, wonder, and delight, Had not sworn all my powers to worship thee, Justly mine own revenge receive I might, And see thee, tyrant, suffer tyranny; See thee thy self-despair and sorrow breeding, Under the wounds of woe and sorrow bleeding. For sorrow holds man's life to be her own, His thoughts her stage where tragedies she plays, Her orb she makes his reason overthrown, His love, foundations for her ruins lays; So as while love will torments of her borrow, Love shall become the very love of sorrow. Love therefore speak to Caelica for me, Show her thy self in everything I do; Safely thy powers she may in others see, And in thy power see her glories too; Move her to pity, stay her from disdain, Let never man love worthiness in vain. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...NOBODY'S LOOKIN' BUT DE OWL AND DE MOON (A NEGRO SERENADE) by JAMES WELDON JOHNSON SONNETS FROM THE PORTUGUESE: 43 by ELIZABETH BARRETT BROWNING THE CANTERBURY TALES: THE GENERAL PROLOGUE by GEOFFREY CHAUCER ONLY WAITING by FRANCES LAUGHTON MACE ODES: BOOK 1: ODE 12. TO SIR FRANCIS HENRY DRAKE, BARONET by MARK AKENSIDE |