Let not thy impotent lust so powerful be Over thy reason, soul, and liberty, As to enforce thee to a married life, Ere thou art able to maintain a wife. Thou canst not feed upon her lips and face, She cannot clothe thee with a poor embrace. Myself being yet alone, and but one still, With patience could endure the worst of ill. When fortune frowns, one to the wars may go To fight against his foes and fortunes too. But (O) the grief were treble for to see Thy wretched bride half-pin'd with poverty: To see thy infants make their dumb complaint, And thou not able to relieve their want! The poorest beggar, when he's dead and gone, Is rich as he that sits upon the throne. But he that, having no estate, is wed, Starves in his grave, being wretched when he's dead. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...TETHYS' FESTIVAL: SHADOWS by SAMUEL DANIEL THE ARGUMENT OF HIS BOOK by ROBERT HERRICK THE REALM OF FANCY by JOHN KEATS SNOWBOUND by JOHN GREENLEAF WHITTIER ON THE EPHEMERALNESS OF BEAUTY by FRANKLIN PIERCE ADAMS EMBLEMS OF LOVE: 9. LOVE A TICKLISH GAME by PHILIP AYRES A DIALOGUE ABOUT COMPELLING A PERSON TO TAKE OATHS TO THE GOVERNMENT by JOHN BYROM |