I cannot be at peace yet need not fight, I fear, I hope, I burn, I suffer cold, I fall to earth, I scale the Heavens in flight, Have empty hands and yet all things do hold; I am not free though unconstrained, although None holdeth me I may not cast my chains; Love harms me not, yet will not let me go, Will neither slay me nor console my pains; I plead for mercy yet desire the end, I speak without a tongue, see without eyes, I love another yet myself despise, I eat my bread in bitterness and blend Laughter and tears, I hate both death and life; Through thee, Madonna, I endure this strife! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THOUGHTS ON THE COMMANDMENTS by GEORGE AUGUSTUS BAKER JR. LINES COMPOSED A FEW MILES ABOVE TINTERN ABBEY by WILLIAM WORDSWORTH HASSAN'S MUSIC by THOMAS BAILEY ALDRICH ABER STATIONS: STATIO SEXTA by THOMAS EDWARD BROWN MIDSUMMER by WILLIAM CULLEN BRYANT DON JUAN: CANTO 5 by GEORGE GORDON BYRON SONG; THE SENTIMENTS BORROWED FROM SHAKESPEARE by WILLIAM COLLINS (1721-1759) |