IT was a lovely melancholy night; The Moon, and every star shone bright; When thou didst swear thou wouldst to me be true, And do as I would have thee do: False woman! round my neck thy arms did twine, Inseparable as the elm and vine: Then didst thou swear thy passion should endure To me alone sincere and pure, Till sheep and wolves should quit their enmity, And not a wave disturb the sea. Treacherous Neaera! I have been too kind, But Flaccus can draw off, thou'lt find; He can that face (as thou dost him) forswear, And find (it may be) one as fair: And let me tell thee, when my fury's mov'd, I hate devoutly, as I lov'd. But thou, blest gamester, whosoe'er thou be That proudly dost my drudgery, Didst thou abound in numerous flocks, and land, Wert heir to all Pactolus' sand; Though in thy brain thou bor'st Pythagoras, And carried'st Nereus in thy face, She'd pick another up, and shab thee off, And then 'twill be my turn to laugh. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...ADVICE TO A RAVEN IN RUSSIA by JOEL BARLOW THE BOOK OF MARTYRS by EMILY DICKINSON ON HEARING A LITTLE MUSIC-BOX by JAMES HENRY LEIGH HUNT THE MOTHER'S HEART by CAROLINE ELIZABETH SARAH SHERIDAN NORTON THE NINE LITTLE GOBLINS by JAMES WHITCOMB RILEY EROS TURANNOS by EDWIN ARLINGTON ROBINSON |