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Classic and Contemporary Poetry


FRAILTY by GEORGE HERBERT

Poet Analysis

First Line: LORD, IN MY SILENCE HOW I DO DESPISE
Last Line: PLANTED IN ME.

LORD, in my silence how I do despise
What upon trust
Is styled honour, riches, or fair eyes;
But is fair dust!
I surname them guilded clay,
Deare earth, fine grasse or hay;
In all, I think my foot doth ever tread
Upon their head.

But when I view abroad both regiments,
The worlds, and thine;
Thine clad with simplenesse, and sad events;
The other fine,
Full of glorie and gay weeds,
Brave language, braver deeds:
That which was dust before, doth quickly rise,
And prick mine eyes.

O brook not this, lest if what even now
My foot did tread,
Affront those joyes wherewith thou didst endow,
And long since wed,
My poore soul, ev'n sick of love;
It may a Babel prove,
Commodious to conquer, heav'n and thee
Planted in me.



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