O truant Muse, what shall be thy amends For thy neglect of truth in beauty dyed? Both truth and beauty on my love depends; So dost thou too, and therein dignified. Make answer, Muse: wilt thou not haply say 'Truth needs no colour, with his colour fix'd; Beauty no pencil, beauty's truth to lay; But best is best, if never intermix'd?' Because he needs no praise, wilt thou be dumb? Excuse not silence so; for't lies in thee To make him much outlive a gilded tomb, And to be praised of ages yet to be. Then do thy office, Muse; I teach thee how To make him seem long hence as he shows now. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...A BALLAD OF WHITECHAPEL by ISAAC ROSENBERG IDEA: TO THE READER OF THESE SONNETS, INTRODUCTION by MICHAEL DRAYTON WHEN HE WOULD HAVE HIS VERSES READ by ROBERT HERRICK THAT HOLY THING by GEORGE MACDONALD THE HUSKERS by JOHN GREENLEAF WHITTIER THE PERSIANS (PERSAE): XERXES DEFEATED by AESCHYLUS |