Classic and Contemporary Poetry
BALLADE: 24, by THOMAS WYATT Poet Analysis Poet's Biography First Line: Pain of all pain, the most grievous pain Last Line: Unto the soul from the body depart. Alternate Author Name(s): Wyat, Thomas Subject(s): Goddesses & Gods; Love; Mythology; Pain; Soul; Suffering; Misery | ||||||||
Pain of all pain, the most grievous pain Is to love heartily and cannot be loved again. Love with unkindness is causer of heaviness, Of inward sorrow and sighs painful. Whereas I love is no redress To no manner of pastime: the sprites so dull With privy mournings and looks rueful, The body all wearish, the colour pale and wan, More like a ghost than like a living man When Cupido hath inflamed the heart's desires To love there as is disdain; Of good or ill the mind oblivious, Nothing regarding but love t'attain; Always imagining by what mean or train It may be at rest thus in a moment Now here, now there, being never content. Tossing and turning when the body would rest, With dreams oppressed and visions fantastical, Sleeping or waking, love is ever pressed, Sometime to weep, sometime to cry and call, Bewailing his fortune and life bestial, Now in hope of recure and now in despair -- This is a sorry life to live alway in care! Record of Terence in his comedies poetical: In love is jealousy and injuries many one, Anger and debate with mind sensual, Now war, now peace, musing all alone, Sometime all mort and cold as any stone. This causeth unkindness of such as cannot skill Of true love, assured with heart and good will. Lucrece the Roman, for love of our lord And because perforce she had commit adultery With Tarquinus, as the story doth record, herself did slay with a knife most piteously among her nigh friends, because that she So falsely was betrayed. Lo, this was the guerdon Whereas true love hath no dominion. To make rehearsal of old antiquity What needeth it? We see by experience Among lovers it chanceth daily Displeasure and variance for none offence. But if true love might give sentence That unkindness and disdain should have no place But true heart for true love, it were a great grace. O Venus, lady, of love the goddess, Help all true lovers to have love again; Banish from thy presence disdain and unkindness; Kindness and pity to thy service retain: For true love, once fixed in the cordial vein, Can never be revulsed by no manner of art, Unto the soul from the body depart. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...PARTHENOPHIL AND PARTHENOPHE: MADRIGAL 14 by BARNABE BARNES SONNETS IN SHADOWS: 1 by ARLO BATES IN PRAISE OF PAIN by HEATHER MCHUGH THE SYMPATIZERS by JOSEPHINE MILES |
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